When I Was A Witch
by MantyMouse
Summary: SEQUEL to When I Was A Muggle. Too dangerous to stay, too valuable to be left alone. But years on, will Hermione take back, the pain, the heartache and the power? More importantly CAN she take them back...or risk losing herself forever!
1. The Kind Of Girl

**Disclaimer: **If I owned these original settings, characters or ideas, i would be one of the richest women in the world...as it is...you know the drill, the only thing i invented was the individual plot and characteristics that the characters have that may not be accurate to the original books but should be consistent to When I Was A Muggle. Thank you.

**Author's Note: **The first chapter is always exciting for me, i hope it is for you too! If you haven't read **When I Was A Muggle **(the prequel) you may wish to do so now, just click on my user name, head for my home page and scroll through! :) Otherwise...please review and tell me what you think, where you feel the story will go, and if you're happy that i made a sequel...Love always! This starts somewhere during Harry and Ron's final year at Hogwarts...so roughly three years after...not quite.

**Blurb: **Sometimes...she dreams she is a witch. She was too dangerous to be allowed to stay, but what if she's too valuable to keep away...but years on, can Hermione take back the danger, the power, and the responsibility? Can she ever face up to what she has done? Time to get serious.

The lift slides onward and upward and she wonders what on earth she is doing here, shuffling her uncomfortably heel-ed feet and tugging on her claustrophobic skirt. Everything, even the lift interior, is shiny and classy, there's not a single mark on the carpet- _I bet they have someone on chewing gum patrol- _she thinks involuntarily. Her box glides to a halt and she hurriedly checks for fly-aways in the mirror as the door opens smoothly and she is faced with the most intimidating walk of her life- well, second most intimidating, but that's long gone.

First of all you need to know what kind of a young woman Hermione Granger is. Hermione Granger lives in her average sized red-brick house with her two parents, who own a dental practice, and she is studying at college, counting down the days till she can apply for university. She enjoys runs after breakfast and has salad for lunch, and gets into school early to use the gym with her boyfriend Karl. They study together and are never tempted to do anything else during these assigned hours after school. She climbs at the weekends and her weakness is chocolate spread. She wants to be a writer and is trying, in vain, to get something (or indeed anything) published. She often writes long into the night while Karl snores next to her, and prefers tea to coffee to keep her awake. She is the girl that when boys speed past her, revving their engines, and then pull up to wait for her, leans down, rolls her eyes and says 'have you _seen _the speed limit?' before moving on. She hates being wrong or late, or worst, both. She has a group of close friends who all share her love of the gym, cats and anything Fair Trade. Hermione still goes on long family 'rambles', she reads feminist novels from the 70s and would love to have something-anything- to protest and be radical about.

She stepped moodily into the sunlight and wriggled out of her uncomfortable jacket. Karl got up off the bench, replacing his book in his bag and swept his hair from his eyes, taking a few steps towards.

"Don't." She muttered, tugging her hair down angrily and shaking it out.

"Never mind baby, next time." She stopped her mood, briefly, to kiss him and then allowed him to take her jacket and put an arm round her waist. "What did they say?" He asked tentatively, as they ambled down the bank of the canal, weaving in and out of the trees out of habit, as if they were in the park at the end of Karl's road.

"It's too _fantastical._" She wrinkled her nose in distaste, "I tried to tell them that it's a children's _fantasy _story- but no, they weren't having that at all." She sighed and became less sardonic, looking at the floor. "She was ok actually. She just said that it wasn't real enough, wizards and witches, kids just don't believe in them these days, it just wont sell enough copies apparently." Karl nodded, he didn't really have a reply, because he couldn't exactly argue with the publishers' verdict- he and Hermione knew they were right. "Back to the drawing board I suppose." She concluded, trying to sound positive but failing epically.

"Come on, while we're up here let's go get lunch somewhere posh before we get the train back. National Gallery?"

"Full of budding writers scribbling on the back of napkins and wannabe artists dreaming of fame and inspiration." She laughed at her own bitterness, "Sure, let's go. Maybe I can pick up some tips."

"And it's insanely close to the station." Karl pointed out fairly. Hermione looked into his blue eyes, slightly obscured by the gorgeous long, blonde hair and sighed, wondering where on earth she'd found a guy, with not only her own innate sense of practicality but also so similar to her in every other way.

Hermione's vices- if she really can be accused of any- only occur during the night time. She is the kind of girl who really enjoys to 'let her hair down' and have a night out. Hermione loves high heels, and fixing her hair to look wild, she loves to dress up and loves it when Karl dresses up too. She wears heavy eye liner and power-shouldered jackets and has more clutch bags than practical sized ones. She always eats well before she drinks, but yes, she enjoys to drink- cocktails are her favourite but she hates straight vodka. She also smokes, not regularly or habitually, but as an occasional past time she will share one with Karl at a party or on their way to a party. If they want to get into clubs, they never fail to pass as 18 (they nearly are anyway) and if they don't then they can always find a house party. Hermione is the kind of girl that can have fun, and still be a huge academic success. She has everything going for her during the day, and everything going for her at night- she could be anything she wants to be. But she has fears too. Besides her dislike of spiders and a bog standard fear of deep water, she has a fear that she'll never be happy. She has a fear that she doesn't know what she wants. And sometimes, in the early hours of the morning, when she's sleeping at her deepest, she has a dream. Hermione dreams about a dream, or an idea of a dream; she dreams that once, a long time ago in another life maybe, she was a witch.

Karl gently stroked Hermione's hair till she fell slowly into consciousness. She flattened her bed-hair and smiled,

"Home?"

"Yeah, we're home sweetheart." She reached for her crumpled jacket, which had been her blanket for two hours until it had fallen onto the scabby, blue and red, carpet of the train. Now she dusted it off and tugged it on, while Karl waited patiently in the isle, holding her over-large shoulder bag which was stuffed full of manuscript- _back to the drawing board, _she thought again.

Hermione followed her boyfriend's perfectly formed bottom down to the nearest exit, and hopped off, with some difficulty, onto the damp pavement. She was so tired she removed her patent black heels and held them in her left hand, holding Karl's fingers lightly in her right, not even caring that the damp from the rain a few hours before was seeping across her toes and up her tights (they would definitely be ruined). They skipped the harshly lit room that was all their one-horse station consisted of and slipped down the side towards the back street while the locals parked for free, smirking at those silly enough to buy a ticket in the station car park. Karl opened the door of his stale smelling, almost purple, Astra and she gave him a quick peck, appreciating the gesture of gentlemanliness.

"My place or shall I take you back to yours?" He asked, jumping in beside her and starting the engine (twice, because it needed it after being left stood still all day).

"What do you think?" Hermione smirked at him, "I'm not disturbing my parents this late."

"Good, 'cause mine aren't in." They smiled at each other and Karl pulled away. Hermione slid down into the not-so-comfy passenger seat, inhaling happily the smell of Karl and his after shave, almost run out air freshener, and cigarettes from a few nights ago- it was nice familiarity after the stiff no-smell of the publisher's office.

_Hermione sees the flick of a red pony-tail at the end of the street and knows who it must be- idiot, she's running the wrong way, she's going to get caught. Hermione you don't have time for this. Her own thoughts run over each other but her body has volunteered itself before she has time to argue, and she's at the corner under the street lamp. By instinct she shrinks as quickly as possible from the place that can make shadows her enemy and hides instead within them, making them her friend. She sees the back of the poor red-headed girl running straight towards the subway- her mind is else where, she isn't thinking straight- and towards the waiting assassin crouched in the long, concrete tunnel. Hermione closes her eyes for a brief second and behind the subway there is an anonymous flash of light, and then a rattle- the red headed girl ignores it, but just as Hermione intended it is enough to shake the assassin. He shrinks back to the end of the tunnel and slips up the steps, to investigate the noise, just buying the red-head the time she needs to get through, blissfully unaware of any danger._

"Woah!" Hermione jolted awake as her face peeled from the ball of her hand and dropped suddenly; she just caught herself short of her face colliding with the keyboard of her laptop. Next to her Karl stirred and stretched, sitting up.

"Bad dream?" She shrugged and shook her body out, giving a good impression of a horse,

"Brrr. Guess so." Karl wrapped his arms round her from behind and leaned his annoyingly bony chin into the crevice in her should.

"How's the master piece?" He'd got so used to her obscure late-night writing hours that he didn't bother to question it any more, it was a part of their relationship and he loved every bit of it. Another shrug. Moodily Hermione hit the save icon, "Tea or coffee? As if I don't know." Karl heaved his weight off the bed, shivering in just his boxer shorts and socks.

"Tea, did you…did you leave the window open?" She spun round, noticing that she too was cold. The old sash window was open almost half way. "It's gone midnight why did you-?"

"I didn't." He cut across her. "Or maybe I did earlier and forgot. I'll get the tea." He was reluctant to argue, "And stop being so moody." He added, placing a hand on her head and pushing her away playfully.

As soon as Karl had left the room Hermione untangled her legs from the charger cable of the laptop, where she was sat at the end of his bed facing the underneath of his TV and the various wires that trailed from it- apart from the bed it was the biggest thing in the box-like attic room. She moved to the window and dragged it shut with a squeal of resistance from reluctant hinge-work. Hermione shivered again, and in an attempt to shake the dream she looked down at Karl's imprint where he'd fallen asleep on top of the duvet; there was nowhere she'd rather be than in his bedroom, definitely not in a dream chasing down a cold, damp alleyway.


	2. Chocolate Bars and Chasing

**Author's Note: **_enjoy, review, read...etc :) I really hope you like this chapter as i am LOVING writing it. it was the amazing response from u guys that prompted me to write this so quickly :) thankyou _

"_They're closing in on us guys, we've got to split up or we're all going to go down." _

"_No way!"_

"_Not a chance-"_

"_You heard what Harry said," _

_The red haired girl at the head of the table in the half-falling-down, nearly-pitch-black, barn looked frustrated. And very tired. She shivered as the wind whipped through the holes where windows should have been._"_I heard, and I understood." She pushed her fingers to her eyes and shut them tight for a second. "But you can't deny this is getting disastrous- every day more people seem to be joining the pack." There were general mutterings of agreement "My proposal is that Luna, myself and Ron all stay here- following orders because, yes, I heard what Harry said. Then we still need people to watch in on Hogwarts, I'm sure there's something going down there, Death-Eater wise. Then the rest of you need to split and run, and keep in touch."_

"_We'll rotate Hogwarts watching," Someone offered. In the shadows Hermione shuffled, adjusting so she could see better through the window through which she was watching. It was Neville, "Cho, Seamus, me and…" _

"_I'll go." Lavender offered, though not too enthusiastically. Hermione thought she looked worn out, too tired to go on. What is happening? She wondered, wishing more than anything she could ask. _

_Ginny nodded, _"_The rest of you scatter?"_

"_In the morning." Dean reasoned, standing up to make his authority certain. _

_Ginny looked at him intensely and then saw sense._"_Fine, but not a moment longer after dawn, understand? Sitting around will just get us killed, no matter what Harry said- they had me on the run round tonight, and that was just on rounds, I honestly thought my number was up." She sighed, "But ok Dean, in the morning. And you __**will **__go into hiding wont you?" She got a stony silence, and he looked mutinous, "What I say goes, we agreed that-" She began,_

"_If you say scatter I'll scatter." Was all he agreed to- Ginny seemed to take it as him bowing to her authority, but Hermione saw through it. She shifted again, this time dislodging a stone. It rolled, making miniscule clattering sounds as it went, and Hermione watched, frustratingly powerless to stop the noise. _

"_What was that?" Everyone drew their wands simultaneously. _

_Ginny and Dean stalked towards the window where Hermione was attempting to stand without sky-lining herself. Time for me to scatter, she thought with a twinge of sadness, and left silently, backing round a bush, with gentle prayers into the night that everyone in the room was ok. _

Hermione shook herself awake, annoyed again. She stretched and realized that she hadn't even got under the covers before she'd dropped off last night,"Wow, I must have been tired." She smiled; last night had been a late night cinema date with Karl and then a long drive before she'd come back to say goodbye to her parents, who were on a late night/early morning flight over to France. Now the house was blissfully quiet for a morning and she tutted as she removed her shoes _I didn't even take my shoes off, that's a first. _She bustled to get ready for school, not bothering to shower (yet), she packed up her rucksack and a gym bag and then pulled her hair up hurriedly, checking the roots with her fingertips but thankfully not finding too much oil there.

Hermione clattered down the stairs and grabbed a Fair-Trade banana from the fruit bowl as she skidded across the tiles of the small kitchen towards the door,"Keys, bag, breakfast- done." She smiled as she slammed the door shut behind her, striding up the road to the left, where she knew she'd be at the bus stop with five minutes to spare; enough time to eat her banana, walk a couple of meters to the bin, chuck the skin in, walk back, fish her purse from her bag and find the right change plus her student card to get on the bus.

Once she'd alighted the number eight which went from the train station, via a roundabout, edge of town route, past their college, and finally to the center of town, she glanced around, noting again how it was mostly old and foreign people that got on this bus, and took a window seat near the front, scouring the worn out chair for chewing gum first. Hermione tried to think back to her dream, but it slipped like sand in the wind, as dreams do, and she could no more catch it than sand, so she let it go. The bus turned left onto the main road, skipping a red light she was pretty sure, and Hermione watched the passers by of surburbia: skinny, under-age girls with buggies and t-shirts that said things like 'yummy mummy' or 'bun in the oven', cheeky over-stated anti-glamour that made Hermione cringe for them, or large groups of tottering oldies with various stages of frame or stick attached to limbs, and one old lady who trundled by at an alarming rate, over taking the bus at one point, on her beastly looking mobility scooter, puffing away on her cigarette. That was the bulk of the population, then more often recently there were back packers, scruffy in a trendy way, all wearing tour shirts, or Crag Hopper state-of-the-art micro fleece, and eating the pavement with their strides, pack casually undone at the hip strap and bagel in hand, and then there were the school kids, a few years younger than her, hopping on and off the buses in bursts of obnoxious screeching and varying states of undressed-ness (she wasn't a huge teenager fan, but she waved away the question of why if anyone dared ask; it had something to do with the demeanor of kids in this area compared with a previous school she'd been to, was all she would say). Finally there were the non-entities and the one-offs, the people Hermione's gaze sort out; the goth couple, the power-walking woman, the lone jogger in the Royal Marines t-shirt, the gay couple, the young man with the guitar who wondered the streets occasionally strumming an inspirational chord before just plodding on getting in the way, the lady with about sixty children hanging from parts of her body, teetering precariously at the zebra crossing; these were the people Hermione gazed hungrily at, eating up material for her stories, hoping to make them more _real._ The bus pulled away again and Hermione vainly patted both her bags, to check they were still there even though she knew they were, and stood slowly to prepare for her stop. She continued to half watch the one-offs as they appeared on the streets, one in particular caught her eye; a black hood, the coat was so long it could have been a cloak, and no other defining feature, or any feature at all, visible on the person as they swept away, she thought briefly of words she could use to describe the entirely cloaked, complete mystery that had briefly entered her world, but was soon put off as she stepped forward to exit the vehicle.

Coming into the sports hall was always lovely, it smelt clean, and always had that nice level of noise- competitive, excitable, happy, just enough going on to know it was alive without it being as noisy and garish as the rest of the school. Karl stood up from his seat at one of the metal tables and crossed to meet her in front of the vending machine, giving her a long kiss before he said anything.

"Feels like ages since last night already." He mumbled,

"I know," She leaned into his chest and breathed in Karl Smell for a moment before they loosely caught fingers and made their way towards the changing rooms. Hermione gave him a little wave before she split off into the girls section and he grinned back- god he was gorgeous.

Distraction for them both in the gym had the potential to be huge. They both stretched to warm up together, which involved a lot of Karl flexing his muscles in his fairly, but not too, tight white t-shirt and bending over in his Kalvin Klein shorts to show his really fabulous bum off to its best advantage. Then they ran on the treadmills side by side and Karl had to struggle to focus his head forwards, or at least at Hermione's face if she was talking to him, rather than at her bouncing sports bra under her strappy-top. Then Hermione cycled, and Karl did weights, watching her tanned legs work from the perfect angle in her short-shorts and she was always equally flushed from seeing his abs and pecks flex under his shirt, watching the dark patches of sweat begin to grow around his back and underarms. Then she would do sit ups while he would row or use the cross trainer, and at the end of the session as they paused to swig their water bottles Hermione would invariably lift her top annoyingly high to wipe the sweat from her forehead, originally as a necessity and now just to tease him, before they joined hands and left the gym. With the unstoppable rush of hormones that crammed the gym every time they entered it was a wonder either of them managed to work out at all, but that was who they were, focused to the core.

Hermione showered hurriedly, plaited her wet her and retrieved her 20p from the locker, she'd been using the same one every day since she'd started going to the gym, to catch Karl's eye at first when they'd started 6th Form college in September, now it had become sacred, a lucky thing. She waited patiently for Karl to return from the boys room, he would smell of fresh body wash and damp hair and it made he stomach tingle just to think about, _I couldn't ever lose him, he's my world. _She looked at the shiny, traitorous, vending machine and then hurriedly looked the other way, forcing her brain to think of something that wasn't a chocolate bar, _I don't need you, I'll have one later today, I do __**not **__need a chocolate bar._ She chanted to herself.

"Hey beautiful." Karl snuck up on her and kissed her damp hair playfully, "So how's you're day been so far?" He joked as they crossed the foyer,

"Could have been worse." She smiled,

"Oh yeah, you still up for helping with Lexi's birthday on Wednesday night?"

Hermione smiled ruefully,"Would I say no?"

_She was outside King's Cross station, watching the entrance from the shadows- shadows were vital. Dean stood, arms folded, like a guard dog, keen eyes darting everywhere. __Four people stood nearby, wands drawn. Eventually Dean nodded and they moved forward towards the station entrance. One of the bodies patted him on the arm, by way of thanks, and he nodded, but didn't dare take his eyes off the scene. _

_Dean listened with Hermione, although he was unaware of her, to the footsteps retreating, echoing, back into the station. After a moment or two he unfolded his arms, drew his wand and scanned the area one last time. Then he broke into a run, in the opposite direction to where Hermione was crouched, thankfully, and began to stride down the street, his large steps swallowing the ground beneath him, his feet making smacking noises against the pavement. Where are you going? Hermione thought, but she remembered the firm order to scatter and decided he must be somewhat following that; if not fully. She followed the others into the station, not enjoying how exposed she was on the forecourt, her trainers occasionally squeaking against the shiny tiles so that she froze and fought the urge to screw her eyes up tight because she was so frightened. _

_The party of four moved across the barriers and onto the platform, she knew which one without looking and she really didn't want to have to go there. She was saved by a shift in the shadows. Hermione spun on the spot, knowing how vulnerable to attack she was right now and wanting to run. But she had to be like Dean, be their guard dog. Hermione held her breath. There it was again, just edging towards the barrier, thinking she hadn't seen it move. She thought fiercely and threw something nasty at it from her mind, a jet of light, aimed to hurt, disable, hopefully break something. There was a satisfying yelp as the beam hit her target and now she knew it was safest to scarper. Hermione ran so fast across the station that she felt her feet begin to bruise, her breath catching awkwardly in her lungs as it struggled to regulate. _

"You alright baby?" Karl's voice focused dim and echo-y at first, and then clearer "Hermione?"

"What?" Hermione woke fully and sat up on the sofa, looking around the room, taking a relieved grasp on reality; the warm lighting, the TV chattering away to itself, Karl in front of her, bending to comb her hair back from her face. "Yeah I'm alright."

"You seem to be sleeping a lot recently," He laughed as he sunk into the sofa with her and Hermione relaxed, "I only went to wash up."

"Sorry." She muttered, kissing the cotton of his shirt against his shoulder.

"That's alright," He hesitated, "You sounded like you were struggling to breath, or at least, like you were breathing pretty heavily. Do you feel ok?"

Hermione tried to remember why she had been breathing heavily in the dream, _just let it go Hermione it was a dream. _"Yeah I feel ok I guess," In truth she was a little unnerved, but she didn't want to get into dream-talk with him. "Maybe I'm coming down with a cold or something." She reached for the remote and shut off the annoying buzz of the TV.

"Aw, well I'll have to treat you like a princess till you get better then." He wrapped his arms tightly round her waist and Hermione felt happier than ever, more than capable of shaking off the impending cold.

"You do that anyway." She told him honestly, pressing her nose against his. Karl shrugged as if it was nothing and kissed her. They kept kissing excitedly as they made their way upstairs, Karl's familiarly cold hands slipping inside her shirt.

"_Harry said that building was the only place he could contact us without compromising either of us!" Ron yelled angrily at a soaking wet Ginny as they paused on a poorly lit street corner in god-knows-where to continue their feud. They glared at each other, hair, noses and clothes dripping, wind slapping against their fragile bodies from all angles,_

"_Do you think I want to lose contact with him any more than you do? Really? I miss him like hell Ron and I wish we could- but I'm not willing to die for it." _

"_There would have been a way-"_

"_We'll find a way, just-"_

"_Guys!" Luna's voice interjected and the tiny blonde girl stepped between them, "Do you think we could run instead of argue? They're gaining on us." _

"_We're so screwed." Ron muttered._

_Ginny looked, shockingly, for a moment like she might cry, "Where? We've got nowhere to go, it's a matter of hours before…"_

"_Oh shut up both of you!" Luna tried again but louder and more forceful. "Move it, left." _

_They started to run again, and Hermione ran on too, a little way behind and equally wet, her eyes darting between her quarries up ahead, the pack that were chasing them, closer than any of them knew- hooded, fast, organized, and silent- and the pavement so she didn't lose footing. Her feet squelched horribly as water bubbled in and out of the holes in the soles. __**Come on guys, **__she thought desperately. _

"_And right now," Luna called; the slowest runner but the one with the plan, or half a plan at least. "Get down into that subway." Their feet pounded down the dry corridor, giving them only seconds to relish the relief from the elements before they were back out into the storm. "Keep going straight!" She urged, her voice straining against lack of oxygen as she struggled to keep up with her longer legged companions. _

"_Shit!" It only took a few seconds for Ginny to realize they'd gone badly wrong. They were heading straight for a brick wall. "Dead end." She called, skidding to a halt and beginning to panic. _

"_No it's not!" Luna careered past her, "Jump it, come on, we can lose them if we're quick." Ginny didn't react, "Come on!" Luna practically screamed. _

_Ron bent to give her a leg over, but she could only use one hand, the other appeared to be clutching to something that she dare not drop. Hermione paused to catch her breath, leaning back against the side of a house a little way away- here she wouldn't be seen by the pursuers or the pursues- and watched them struggle to hoist themselves over the wall which must have been over 12ft high. It was frustrating to watch, but she knew she couldn't help, and yet…and yet. Here were the pack, getting closer, they sped close to where Hermione panted, but like dogs on a scent they ignored her and made straight for the three struggling climbers. _

_Luna was already over and all Hermione could think was, __**save yourself, just run for it girl. **__But she knew she wouldn't have. The pack were closing in, and Ron and Ginny were silent and fearful now; 6 to 2, what are the chances of survival? Hermione hesitated, waited, as long as she could bare, as the pack closed off the end of the alley and began to slowly prowl forwards, ready for the kill. She fired a jet of white light towards them, it was like a flash of blinding hope for Ginny and Ron, it left burn marks on their eyelids but it jolted a memory- they knew who'd cast it._

_The pack turned, and split and looked confused but still no voice was audible, just a broken set of calls, raw and animalistic. They turned around again, still not seeing her, she was stood up now, almost fully visible, but no one seemed to notice her, they were busy looking for another obvious witch or wizard. She stepped out, __**god I really didn't want to do this. **__"Oi!" She cried out, the only thing that came to her head. Now they saw, now Ron and Ginny saw too. _

_Hermione bolted, not wanting to stay to see if they called out, but such was her angle that all the couple on the wall saw was a brief flash of bushy, brown hair. Hermione ran like hell waiting and wanting to wake up but not sure how. _


	3. The Last Thing I Need

**Author's Note: **_Hope you're all in for the long haul, this story is going to be pretty damn long I'm afraid. anyway, please **review **and enjoy it :) xx_

"Nurrgghh, what?" Karl's voice was blunt and harsh as he answered the phone call clumsily, not checking his caller ID first.

"Hey, sweetie, it's me." Hermione half whispered, firmly shutting her bedroom window thinking it might be the breeze keeping her awake, even though half an hour ago it had been the heat, she thought. "Sorry…" She added for good measure, staring out through the left over rain drops, the storm had long since stopped, at the dark wet road that extended in front of her house.

"Oh, Hermione-" He laughed and yawned, "No I'm sorry, didn't mean to snap at you there. What's up honey? Or are you just trying to kill me by keeping me up at all hours?"

"No, I-" She worried for a second but decided to go with the joke, "There's no conspiracy theory, you can relax, I just…I can't sleep." She told him quietly,

"Something on your mind?"

Hermione pictured him propping himself up on his elbows, concerned, ready to listen despite his obvious tiredness. "I don't know. It's really annoying," She grumbled.

"Ok, let's just talk about something- anything- and try to stay awake."

"Why?"

"Well you called me love." He laughed again and this time Hermione joined too, it was so infectious when Karl laughed. "I find, if I'm trying to get to sleep, the fastest way to go is to try, really hard, to stay awake, I'm usually asleep within minutes."

"Aha," She replied, "The magic of reverse psychology, I like it. Ok let's talk about…"

Hermione hopped off at the bus at the end of her road and started a brisk stride towards her house immediately, with a list of things to do firmly lodged in her mind. Pack her bag for the pool with Karl, do half an hour's research for English, feed the animals, make salad to put in the fridge, get together a list for the supermarket later, empty and re-pack her school bag, then dash out of the door to be collected from the end of her road by Karl. She enjoyed their Tuesday night swimming sessions, which they tried to have as often as possible, even if the pool showers were lukewarm and terribly public, and then floor never felt clean, and the pool was stupidly echo-y so you couldn't hear each other speak, swimming was a relaxing feeling and wherever she was with Karl she had fun. She fished her keys from her bag now and opened her front door to a hail of yaps from Lily as she skittered across the floor to greet her; Hermione smiled and gave her some due attention before heading upstairs to unload her heavy shoulder bag.

She ducked between her room and the bathroom, swiftly gathering shampoo and conditioner, a towel and hair towel, her plain black swimming costume, a hair brush, some spare makeup- and the list went on, as she attempted, as usual, to cram impossible amounts of stuff that she didn't need into her drawstring swim bag. She was halfway through the process when the door bell rang. _It can't be Karl already, that's hours early, unless something's wrong. _Suddenly worried, Hermione jogged down the stairs, still carrying her overflowing bag in one hand. She tugged open the front door, expecting either the post-lady with a parcel or Karl; but it was neither. It was…her mind tumbled over the names, it was so impossible, unthinkable, not at all what she wanted…Ginny, Luna and…

"I…" The bag dropped to her feet with an odd thud and her mouth struggled to work, to form words she knew she ought to find easy. "Ron?" Her breath was short, it came as a gasp. Hermione pushed past Ginny, gulping in air, shaking her head, "What…?" She flung her arms around Ron's neck, without wanting to think or explain why and he embraced her with the same feeling. They clung to each other.

When Hermione surfaced she was still shaking her head and desperately trying to regulate her breathing. It was only when she put her hands to her face to push back her hair that she felt her wet cheeks, and became aware she was crying, or had been crying. "I'm sorry, I just- sorry." She started to pull herself together, noticing that all three of them were looking around worriedly. "Go in." Hermione whispered the offer, and the filed into the house. She waited on her driveway for just a second, taking in the horizon, praying silently for a moment _this isn't real, _but she knew it was- it was that horrible gut wrenching reality feeling that she never experienced in dreams. A minute ago the only thing that horizon had been threatening was a late evening shower to cut short her impending dog-walk, but now it threatened the weight of two worlds of pain, and Hermione already knew she did not want that pain back in her life; but just a second ago she had let three huge lumps of pain walk into her house. She had to follow, it was purely involuntary.

They piled into the kitchen and Ron hovered awkwardly at the back of the group, apparently attempting to keep some distance between himself and Hermione. Ginny and Luna seemed to desire the opposite, closeness, Ginny's knuckles were white as she clung to the kitchen counter somewhat desperately. Her hair was matted and lank with grease, her eyes sunken and tired and her clothes were filthy; with all of them in one room you could definitely smell them. Hermione's eyes were drawn to Luna, as she half remembered parts of the dream- there in her hand was a small bag, clutched tightly as though precious. But as Hermione's eyes raked Luna, taken in the same visible exhaustion as Ginny, she saw something that threatened to split her in half with anguish; the old scars, one either side of her neck, from deep bruising in the shape of invisible hands, hands that Hermione had…she couldn't even form the thought it choked her so badly.

"What do you want?" She blurted eventually, dragging her eyes from Luna's neck.

Ginny was quick off the mark, she looked right at Hermione, "We need help." She pleaded, "We've got nowhere to go."

"No." Hermione turned away and faced the stair case,

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Ginny's eyes flashed,

"I mean no, not here. I _can't _help you any more Ginny. I'm not magic-"

"Hermione you-"

Hermione cut back across her, "_No! _I don't have any powers, and you're not going to bring your world into my life. I'm happy here, I got out…now I'm staying out." She finally found the guts to look up at them.

"Hermione." Ron reasoned, and her gaze was pulled to him, "We're not asking you to fight with us but, oh god, the wizarding world is at war right now. And we've run out of safe places to run, maybe you could let us stay just for a few days while we draw up a game plan." Then he added somewhat resentfully, "If you don't want to see us, then you wont even know we're here."

"Ron, _all _I have wanted all this time was to be able to see you again, I thought it was going to kill me I wanted it so badly," Tears seemed to be turning on and off without her control now, "And now you're here I…I just can't." _Harry would understand, _she thought involuntarily, and then cursed herself- his name was the one she'd had to try hardest to block out of her mind. "And you can't just stay here, I know how it works even if I don't want to, you're going to put me, my friends, my family, all in danger just by being here."

"So you'd rather we just died?" Ginny went for the attack.

Hermione looked at her beautiful, tired friend and wish she had an answer that could suit them all. "Fine, just stay in here for a bit, don't leave this room." She added irritably as a warning.

She opened a drawer on the opposite side of the work top to the others and took out a carton of cigarettes and a half-empty petrol lighter, then without looking at them stormed out and slammed the front door. She sat heavily onto the top step of her porch and tried to avoid the staring-at-the-horizon-begging-for-an-easy-answer syndrome. She lit the cigarette, _I think I can be forgiven for this one, _and took a long drag on it, contemplating letting them staying, sending them packing, running away, or even running away with them…each idea crazier than the next.

Back inside the house Hermione shut the door more quietly and dumped the rest of her cigarettes down on a table top, she felt calmer now. Ginny and Luna had sat down along her breakfast bar but Ron was still stood exactly where she'd left him, his eyes following her wherever she went.

"Can I get you a drink?" It seemed inadequate but it was what she'd ask any normal guests in her house. Luna nodded enthusiastically and Hermione took it as a chance to look away again and sort through for a big glass in her cupboard, "Water or juice or…?"

"Just water please." Lu replied quietly.

She watched the water spiral from the tap into the cool glass and then passed it silently to her friend. Luna grabbed it with both hands and took a giant gulp,

"Ginny, it's actually nice tasting water." She laughed and Ginny returned a weak smile; Hermione felt lost as the inside-joke floated right over her head.

Ron cleared his throat, "Look, we understand if you need to know the situation, if we need to tell you what's going on before you can-"

"That is the _last _thing I need!" Hermione snapped suddenly, "Tell the witch who's still connected to Voldemort all your plans, that'd go down great with-" She drew her breath in sharply, skirting around the name, "Look, sorry, what I need is…" She sighed and tried again, frustrated by how difficult this was. Her phone started to vibrate and she whipped it out of her pocket, closing her eyes for a second as she realized what she'd let happen, "Damn. What I need is to tell my boyfriend that I can't come out tonight." She muttered,

Ron took a convulsive step forward, "Your boyfr-"

"Hi Karl." Hermione couldn't help but smile, despite the situation, as she turned her back on the others,

"Hey baby, listen, I'm gonna be five minutes late, is that ok? Josh came over and I completely lost track of time, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry." She told him easily, "I- erm- I can't come swimming either, sorry. That cold just seems to be getting worse, so I'm gonna make myself a cup of tea and snuggle down for the evening, I really don't want it to get so bad I have to take time of college."

"Yeah, swimming's not a good idea then." Karl agreed easily, "Do you want me to come over and walk Lily for you?" Hermione thought fast,

"That's ok, I've already done her, that's when I noticed how rough I was feeling."

"Want some alone time, honey?" Hermione made a non-committal noise, "Ok, well you just get better fast," She could hear the earnest smile in his voice and was almost tempted to beg him to come over just so she could see him smile, "Give me a call if you need anything at all ok?"

"Ok darling. Speak to you later then." She hung up and looked back round, clearing her throat. There was a general air of bewilderment about the room, "Oh what? You didn't think life moved on without you guys?" She asked, anger bubbling beneath the surface, "You can take it in turns to shower." Hermione added crossly, "There are plenty of towels in the bathroom, it's the little room at the end of the hallway." Ron's face was hard as he stalked upstairs first. Hermione exhaled slowly and then paced in a circle for no reason. "You can stay for a day or so." She relented and the girls looked relieved.

Hermione heard Ron join her in the back garden, she was sat, tense, on the edge of her bench, not watching the dog career through her parents' flower beds instead she stared at a different horizon, but with the same prospects.

"Sorry about this. I didn't want to come back." He made a vague peace offering.

"Oh you didn't?" She was being too harsh, but she couldn't think of a reasonable way of dealing with this.

"I knew this wasn't going to be easy for any of us. I don't know if it's the right choice to be honest, I don't think Harry would-"

"Can we not!" She cut across him sharply. There was silence in the annoyingly still evening, "My second one of the day." She indicated to her cigarette, almost burnt out now, "That's never happened before."

Ron took this as an invitation to come and sit down. "They took over Hogwarts." Ron started to tell her, she had known he would eventually, in spite of all her best intentions, "Nothing's really happening there, which is weird, it's making everyone pretty tense watching from the outside, so we sent a guard up there."

"Neville, Cho, Seamus and Lavender, I heard."

"How?" Ron turned to face her quickly,

"I was sort of at that meeting, watching from the window, I went there…" She drew a long breath before she finally muttered, "I went there in my dream."

"Oh god." Ron muttered, and took his turn at looking into the distance, somewhat hopefully. He continued, "So we've got eyes on Hogwarts ready in case something goes down there, but we can't get in because there's a huge Death Eater guard- they're not hurting anyone though. The Ministry has literally been blown to pieces, the government completely dissolved and now He Who Must Not Be Named has-"

"I don't see why you don't just say Voldemort, it's quicker more than anything."

"Well anyway, He has made Godric's Hollow into a battle field, literally, more people join ranks on both sides either day, it's like a proper barracks on both sides, organized battle plans and all sorts. We're not letting Them get anywhere near Harry's Parents' old house, because we think the source to Voldemort's power might be there."

Hermione nodded to show comprehension, even though the last thing she actually wanted was to comprehend.

"So that's our life right now." Ron finished, and they sat in silence for some time.

Hermione put out her cigarette and stood up, "Let's get you guys somewhere to sleep." She put the dog-end in the bin by the back door and Ron followed her, clearly frustrated by her lack of reaction or interest, but not saying any more- even he, man of little tact, knew when to stop pushing sometimes.

Once she had set Ron and Luna up on the two sofas and pulled a blanket onto the reclining chair for Ginny, Hermione began to trudge up to her own bed, which she had never felt less like entering, doubting very much that she'd get any sleep. She passed Ginny at the bathroom door.

"Night." The younger girl said to her, keeping her head down.

Hermione sighed, she wanted to just pass by, but she had to ask or it would eat away at her till there was nothing left, "Ginny, what's happened to H-" She choked up for half a second, "Harry?"

"Traveling, on his quest." She muttered in reply, her voice a little bitter. "He's in search of the Fire Stick- it's the first wand, which apparently has something to do with his prophecy and one of them is going to use it to kill the other, him or You Know Who, I mean."

"Quest?"

"It's a 'go it alone thing', even if it wasn't…well, you know Harry. Dangerous as hell, it's supposed to be near as damn it impossible to find, you have to face terrible trials to get to it, to _become worthy._" Ginny sounded weary, disillusioned, and Hermione wasn't surprised. "Voldemort's hunting it too but I'm pretty sure his minions are doing it for him, there's no way he'd leave Godric's Hollow now. So that's why he's not with us."

"You miss him?" Hermione search Ginny's face, looking for the earnestness she needed to find there.

Ginny's reply was strained, "Every day." She whispered.


	4. One Day You'll Realise

**Author's Note: **_I hope you're ready Harmione fans...this story is starting to go your way e.g. Harry may actually appear in this chapter :D I don't know why i'm getting on so well with this story I'm just addicted to writing it at the moment, that's why so much is coming so quickly. Anyway, I hope you love it!_

Waking was easy- she had barely slept- and Hermione jumped out of bed with full enthusiasm when her alarm went, dying to be clear of the house. She threw herself under the shower, scrubbing half-heartedly at the roots of her hair and then resurfaced again only a few minutes later, hurriedly drying herself. As she dressed, Hermione realized she was going to have to play up her cold a lot, she wanted to convince Karl it had been enough to duck out of swimming, he wouldn't have minded if she didn't want to go, but she hated that she'd lied to him. Hermione couldn't remember another time she'd actually lied to Karl.

She teetered in the doorway of her room, wondering what to do about her cold. _Aha, genius. _She leaned over to a bunch of lilies Karl had bought her last week and took a really big sniff, and then another, practically rubbing her face in the flowers, then she waited for the sneeze to come. Unfortunately it didn't, but she didn't have time to come up with anything that worked now and she clattered down the stairs. Hermione looked briefly at the others, in various states of waking up, and then decided silence would be preferable to small talk. She crossed to the fridge and found the salad she had made yesterday, sitting in its plastic box with a fork laid inside. She opened the lid and wolfed down a few mouthfuls where she stood, the fridge door still open. Ron looked at her oddly but she gave him no explanation to her hurried breakfast as she slammed the door and stuffed the box of salad into her, already bulging, bag for lunch.

"There's food in the fridge, just please don't leave the house, ok?"

"Where are you going?" Ron looked bewildered, the girls were nonchalant and sleepy.

"College, you know, normal school." She replied irritably. Hermione was about to stride from the door when she had a thought; she grabbed a note pad and biro from the work top. "Here's my mobile number, if you need me. _Only _in emergencies though." She added firmly, but knew that if an emergency was likely to happen, it would happen to them. She opened the door but Ron caught her on the threshold,

"Hermione?"

"_What?_"

"What's that yellow stuff on your nose?"

"Huh?" She reached a hand and brushed at her nose fiercely, muttering, "Damn, pollen."

"Why?" Ron iterated.

"Oh just…long story." She sighed and left hurriedly.

"So I'll pick you up at about three so we can start getting stuff together for the party. I've got to warn you though, mum's acting like she's staging the invasion of Normandy."

Hermione laughed and carefully looked both ways as they crossed the road at the end of her street. Karl had his arm tightly around her waist while they walked home that lunch time, they both had a free lesson for last period so they'd decided to get home early, in preparation for Karl's little sister's 5th Birthday Party.

"I like your mum." She looked up at Karl's clean shaven, lightly tanned face and wondered if she could remember the exact number of freckles he had sprinkled across his nose and cheeks. "I like that she's organized." She nodded decisively.

Karl poked his tongue out at her "I _know _you do- peas in a pod."

"You know, you can leave me here, you'd better get back and get to work on executing the battle plans."

Karl frowned, but his voice was light, "You really don't want me to meet these mystery guests of yours do you? So tell me, is it me who's the terrifying monster, or are you protecting me from them?"

Hermione stopped and turned to face him, "They're just really tired, they only got here this morning, I feel like I should give them fair warning." She lied effectively, not even sure why she was lying. "But you'll get to meet them when you collect me tonight." She tried to make up for it. "You're not scary anyway," She took his face in both her hands, "You're lovely." She whispered, kissing his lips, "And amazing," now she kissed his chin, "And for the record they aren't scary either." She placed a kiss atop his nose and turned to leave.

Karl grabbed her arm and gave her another proper kiss on the mouth, "You take my breath away Hermione," He whispered into her hair, giving her chills, "Every second, you take my breath away." And then they separated, all smiles and waves again, a little embarrassed, as they went their separate ways.

"So why can't you guys talk to Harry?" Hermione let her curiosity get the best of her as she checked her reflection in the living room mirror, killing time until Karl came to pick her up. "I mean, communicate with him."

"Because Voldemort is everywhere, there's no safe way to communicate any more, he could have eyes on us or on Harry. And then seeing one would lead to the other being tracked and either is potentially dangerous- potentially fatal actually."

Ron expanded on what Ginny had said, noting Hermione's frown as she struggled to keep up, "Patronus' aren't safe because they could lock theirs onto ours and have it follow, all floo networks are covered and Harry's nowhere near any anyway, apparition is traceable, letters are intercepted regularly." He watched as Hermione quickly dug those definitions from the depths of her brain. "We did have one safe communication gateway opened…" He looked furtively at Ginny, who shrugged. "But we lost that, we couldn't protect it anymore, we had to run away."

_The barn, and then the running…I remember- even though I shouldn't. _Hermione thought. "So you've got no way of seeing how Harry is any more?" All eyes directed at Ginny now, it was her loss that was the biggest- maybe.

"No." She looked up, clearly upset, "We've got nothing now till…well, until something, I don't even want to think what." She shivered visibly and Hermione was about to drop it.

"Actually," Ron put in, carefully taking a pace forward, as though he were treading on a mine field. "There is something we haven't thought to try but-"

"Ron drop it." Luna warned fiercely.

Hermione noted she seemed a lot more feisty these days and she was overcome with curiosity once more. "What is it?"

Ron looked to Luna for permission, who couldn't have looked less like she was giving it, but he spoke nonetheless. "The thought just occurred to me when we…erm…the other day. That, well, if you can get to us, in your dreams, to help us…then maybe you could, somehow, at least try, and get to see Harry."

Hermione's stomach churned and bile began to rise as she looked at her old living room carpet. She strode past Ron into the kitchen and looked desperately at the back wall, sucking in deep breaths. "My dreams aren't real Ron." She muttered weakly.

"Hermione we saw you, ok, we _saw _you run past after you saved us. You did a spell!" He rose his voice now; he was clearly desperate to hear that his best friend was ok but right now she didn't care.

"Ron! They aren't real ok, and I can't do magic!" She yelled back at him. The whole room was silent for a few moments, "And even if they were," She reasoned, "I can't control my dreams, and I _don't _want to. I can't have that kind of power again, ok? Please try and understand that?"

"Please?" He begged, "We wouldn't let you go back to Voldemort, I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Hermione, you _know _that, don't you?" His voice intensified, personal now, and she wished suddenly that Luna and Ginny weren't witnessing this moment.

"If you won't let anything happen to me, Ron, you won't let me try." She said darkly. There was a definite finality in her eyes that told Ron not to try again- for a long time.

"There." She was keeping up her Cross Voice even though she'd lost all enthusiasm to be angry with Ron at least ten minutes ago. He nodded gratefully in response to the clothes, her Dad's, that she'd thrown onto the sofa on which he was sleeping.

The doorbell rang and Hermione rushed to open it- _get me out of here fast Karl. _

"Hi baby." He kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear, "I'm a little scared to meet your guests."

Hermione laughed and tugged him into the living room by the hand. Ron had the art of appalling timing, or maybe it was deliberate, but Hermione froze as she turned round to see him topless, folding up the t-shirt he'd arrived in, about to put on her Dad's old shirt. He looked up, making no effort to replace his clothing any faster because Karl was in the room. Hermione had no choice but to blunder on,

"Karl, this is Ron- er- Weasley, he's an old friend from holiday a few summers ago." She emphasized the 'friend' and her eyes begged Ron to just play along, just for a few minutes.

Karl cleared his throat, "Hi, I'm Karl." He stuck out his hand, which Ron shook somewhat grudgingly. "I heard about your surprise visit to Hermione." Karl stepped back to her side and slung a would-be casual arm around her hips, letting the tips of his fingers slip slightly onto her bum.

"Yeah, kind of a bit of a disaster really. Train tickets got cancelled, then messed up, you know how it gets sometimes, and then we didn't bring enough money with us to buy more so we're waiting on a lift from my parents- bit of a bummer but lucky Hermione lived so nearby. We're on our way back from a music festival." Ron filled in the blanks skilfully, perfectly even, and Hermione was highly impressed. Also very, very grateful that he now reached for the shirt to cover up his bare torso.

"Where did you get that scar mate?" Karl seemed more at ease now.

"Oh um…"

Ron's eyes met Hermione's for a painful second and then she let hers slide away, tracing the scar slowly, remorsefully. She felt bitterness rise in her throat, sorrow so deep that tears threatened; it was so painful to see, and to know, how easily she'd cause immense pain to someone, and not just someone, but Ron.

"Fell off my mates motor cycle." _He's been paying attention in Muggle Studies, _Hermione thought. "Was nasty."

Karl smiled and then looked to the creaking stairs. Ginny entered in a baggy black t-shirt and leggings, both Hermione's, and Luna had picked a tank top, a little loose on her, and some old cargo shorts.

"This is Ginny," Hermione indicated, "She's Ron's sister, and Luna, our good friend." Both girls smiled and Hermione could see them checking Karl over, to see if he was good looking or not- she almost giggled, like they were regular friends.

"Karl before we go in," She grabbed his elbow and Karl stopped, poised on pushing down his door handle, "I just wanted to say, that wasn't at all what it looked like back there, with Ron- and him not having a…well yeah, it wasn't…"

He looked into the distance and brushed his fringe out of his eyes, "Hermione, I trust you. One hundred percent, more even, and you never need to worry about me getting jealous, ok? I know you wouldn't do anything like that." He searched her face, "I _love _you- you'll realise that soon."

Hermione blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. She'd been ducking replying to the 'I love you' for a month or two now, it wasn't that she didn't love him, it was just that she didn't _know _if she did love him, yet.

"It's ok, we can go in." He laughed at her confusion from the words. Karl always accepted that she didn't reply, he was eternally patient and ever hopeful. He pushed open the door.

"Hermy! Hermy!" Lexi bounced towards them down the hall, her almost waist length blonde hair flowing behind her in a sheet. Hermione gave the soft hair a little ruffle as she bent to hug Karl's younger sister before Lexi threw her arms round Karl's waist. He picked her up and gave her a giant hug, spinning her in a circle.

"Lex, you're almost too big for me to throw in the air now." He joked, holding his sister up so she could look at him. She poked his nose, "Fatty! You'll be as huge as Hermione soon." He joked.

"Did you hear that Lex, he called me _and _you fat? Get him!" Hermione passed the banter back, and slipped past them towards the kitchen, laughing as Karl buckled under an odd mixture of tickling and hair pulling, with the occasional foot flailing dangerously close to groin area.

As Hermione looked around the kitchen that was alive with relatives anticipating a hoard of screaming four and five year olds, she took in the brightly coloured plates, the packets of food being opened, the large army of balloon blow-er-up-ers, and the pile of presents collecting on the work top, all shining and sparkling in varying shades of pink, and knew she did not want to go back into her dreams. In the garden a bouncy castle was wobbling, mid-way blown up, and the small lawn was cramped with multi coloured deck chairs and bright, fluffy, picnic blankets. _No, I definitely do not want to go back to that other world again- I'm happy here. _She looked back to Karl, wrestling Lexi into the kitchen, _he completes me._

She pulled the door shut with the minimum possibly noise, flinching as it scraped and she glanced around to see Ginny and Luna fast asleep. As she had predicted, Ron wasn't. Lexi's birthday had finished at 7.30 and she'd stayed on a little longer with Karl until 10. She met Ron's eye and shrugged, as if to say, _what did you expect? _He shrugged back.

"Drink?" She whispered, deciding she had no more energy to be cold or angry or upset- they were here, what could she do about it? Hermione ran cold water into her glass and then shut off the tap. Ron shook his head and nodded outside.

They closed the door behind them and sat down, knees touching, on the back step. There wasn't much of a view from the angle they were sat at, just next door's damp-stained wall and back porch.

"So how did you meet, um, Karl?"

Hermione watched Ron screw his hands into fists but decided to go with it anyway, "Straight after I…" She paused, wondering if she'd ever overcome the pain that leaving Hogwarts had caused her, it had been so unexpected. "I left Hogwarts. It was awful, giving up magic, I hid the bag you guys gave me after I looked in it because I couldn't bear it to be near me. I was terrified to go to sleep, I wouldn't eat and I got pretty ill. Then after I started going to sleep I'd cry every night, and every morning, because the dreams had stopped and I _so _badly wanted to get back to you. I thought I was going to die I wanted it so bad. I just hid out, became a complete recluse all summer, didn't leave my room. And then I had to convince myself you guys weren't real- that was why it was such a shock the other day, when you showed up, it's just…there you were, people I'd been telling myself for so long that I'd made up." Hermione took a deep breath "So anyway, I had to start 6th form, I was really shy to begin with, I was out of practise of seeing people really. Then Karl helped me out in one of my science practical classes, and we kept getting paired together. He was sweet but he barely noticed me, and then I saw him in the gym a few times, and thought about hanging around to watch but never did. Then these boys in our year tried intimidating me when I was walking home from town late, of course I knew what I wanted to do- what I would have done once- but I'd convinced myself I couldn't do magic any more. Then out of nowhere Karl came up and squared up to them, hit one of them, and they scampered off; he walked me home out of politeness. After that I knew I couldn't stand being weak, I had to be strong again, so it was partly that and partly the want to impress Karl, that made me want to start getting fit and strong, working out, swimming, running, everything I could do. It made me alive again, you know?" She looked at Ron for some response, who gave a non-committal half-shrug-half-nod. She laughed, remembering, "Our first date was a run together, it just sort of spiralled from there." And then Hermione became serious once more, "He was there for me when I most needed someone, he saved me," _In a different way to the way Harry saved me…shut up brain! _"And he loves me."

"Do you love him back?" Ron looked at her intensely.

"I don't know…yet."

_Hermione walked on through the forest watching her feet on the damp, clumped, soil; it was the densest forest she'd ever been in, the darkest too, but she trusted her subconscious to know where it was going. She was making slow progress, especially as it was night, but the only thing that got to her was the sting of cold where she had no sleeves on. Up ahead she saw an almost-clearing. At least, it was a space where a few trees appeared to be slightly less tightly packed. Taking up nearly the whole space was a small canvas tent, worn looking and stained with brown, but it might once have been a rough imitation of forest green. _

_Hermione saw a shadow move by it in the gloom and for a moment she thought about running away, she couldn't quite bring herself to go through with it, but only for a moment. Now she told herself to grow up and keep walking, but carefully, out of sight. She snuck closer and closer and the figure grew a more distinctive shape, almost 6ft, male, and then it melted into half-colours in the poor light, black hair, red jumper, blue jeans. _

_Hermione stopped. She caught her breath. Just watching Harry moving, living, breathing, it made her want to laugh and cry at the same time- he's real, it's ok, he's ok. Then she realised she was stood without any cover, completely vulnerable, just watching him. She panicked, darted for a tree, lost her footing cringing as a twig crackled under her feet; Hermione flung herself behind a wide oak and held on tightly to the bark, shutting her eyes for a full minute. _

Harry felt the eyes on him, sensed the presence of another body, but it didn't feel hostile. _Don't be stupid Harry, everything out here's bloody hostile at the moment. _There as the snap of a twig, the pressure of a human foot and he spun round, wand ready, braced for impact. But it was gone. Harry's eyes scanned the dark, irritable at his lack of night vision; maybe he'd seen something move, maybe he hadn't. Or maybe it had just been a badger- all the same, he was alert, turning his body in a slow, constant, circle.

_She couldn't look again, how could she? If she did, how could she ever…Hermione began to slowly, cautiously, creep away, timing her footfalls with other forest rustlings to be as undetectable as possible. Her breath was the hardest thing to keep even and quiet, it seemed to creep into her lungs with a rattle and rush out too quickly with a loud 'woosh'. She heard a sound behind her and froze, listening intently. It was definitely footsteps, other human footsteps, following her; she had to speed up. Hermione walked faster, catching her foot on a stone and resisting the urge to cry out in pain. Her heart raced, she couldn't help it, she had to run- it was impossible to stay still. _

He definitely heard someone now. Harry paced forward, not particularly worried about stealth now, he extended his wand, straining his eyes, wondering whether to just throw out a curse to be on the safe side. Then he saw it. It- her- maybe. He saw a flash of brown hair. _It can't be, don't be ridiculous- she's gone, really gone, forever. _He kept moving forwards, but faster- how could he not go faster? He couldn't slow the pace of his blood, pumping, fearful and excited and somewhat desperate- Harry broke into a jog. There it was, definitely a she, now running in front of him, her cover broken. Harry ran fast, trying to make up a sprint but dodging so many tree roots and tree trunks, and deceitfully deep piles of mulch, that it was impossible. The distance between them was widening, he called out, tentatively.

"Hermione?" There was no reply, "Hermione. Hermione!" He yelled it, but slowed too- knowing it was useless. "Hermione." If she'd ever been there at all, which she probably hadn't, she was long gone. Now he was left, stood a long way from his tent in the middle of the night, in a cold northern forest with the dark closing in around him.

_Hermione watched from a safe distance, the figure pacing through the dark. The odd thing was, it was less like a human stride and more like a glide, there was no jerks to the movement at all. But it was human, she knew, with a shiver, just about human. Weather it was the same forest or a different one, and how she got here, she had no idea. But this figure too was in a forest, probably for the same reason Harry was, and that sent an odd jolt of happiness and satisfaction through her body. She backed away slowly, keen not to be sensed here._

Hermione woke suddenly, shivering as she often did when she woke from these dreams. She darted out of her room and took the stairs two at a time. With a thud she landed at the bottom and flick on the living room light. All its inhabitants stirred and groaned. Ron passed a tired hand over his face and looked round towards her,

"Mm-wot is it Mione?"

"Mione…" The named jarred, it sounded wrong and yet familiar at the same time, no one had called her Mione since she left Hogwarts. "Harry's ok." She told them, trying not to let a smile spread across her face; she was feeling strange, happy, yet scared and upset too, it seemed to be happening a lot recently.

"What?" Ginny shot up and let her blanket fall to the floor, "How do you…"

Luna looked right at her, "You went in your dream."

Hermione nodded, "I didn't want to but it just sort of happened and then I found I could control it. I watched Harry, he doesn't know I was there, and he's ok. But he doesn't look like he's found it-"

"We'd know if he had." Ginny interrupted "Trust me. The uproar would be insane, even the Muggle world would know about it."

"Right. Well the other news is that I went to Voldemort- don't panic- out of choice, I just saw him from a distance too, and he's searching for the wand too. Personally searching, I mean."


	5. Flight To London

**Author's Note: **_I've been on holiday for a while but i hope you like this new chapter :D hoping you lovin' the tension here! **please review x lots of love x**_

_The forest was less dense now, at the base of a mountain, or nearly there, the upward incline just beginning as Hermione spied the little tent again. She wondered how far he'd traveled in just a day, it seemed like a long way, Harry must be tired- or maybe he was traveling by magic, but she doubted it. This didn't sound like a 'do it the easy way' kind of quest. She crept closer __now, closer than she had before but stopped at the nearest tree to Harry's tent. She clung to the bark like a reality check, to remind her of the things she couldn't do. Hermione peered round the tree in time to see Harry turn in her general direction- it was nearly impossible to resist the urge to call out, seeing his heart-wrenchingly familiar face, speckled with stubble, his hair a little longer than before, dark smudges under his eyes. She shot back behind the tree, burying her face in the rough wood._

Harry looked around critically, he knew someone was there, and by instinct he also knew it was the same person as last time. His heart began to pound, full deep throbs through his chest, warning him to keep his wits about him.

"Hermione?" He felt ridiculous, but even saying her name, reminding himself of her power, made it feel possible, likely even, that if anyone could find him then she would. He listened intently for a single slither of air that might be a breath. There. Behind that tree, he took a pace towards it, and then another.

_Hermione tried to hold her breath, she could hear her heart cracking against her ribs. She pinned her back to the tree and closed her eyes, crushing her arms into her side to try and minimize the chance of being seen; n__o matter how badly she wanted to be. _

Harry put a hand out to the tree and felt its ragged bark crackle beneath his fingers, gripping it like a vice, he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree, now absolutely certain he could hear breath that matched his own. "Hermione, if you're there, _please, _I need to hear your voice. Tell me you're ok." He begged, hopeful.

_Hermione bit her __lip, and then relented, it didn't take much, "Harry." She muttered, feeling a huge weight lift from her chest. "Harry, I'm ok." _

"Oh god Mione it's you!" He laughed aloud, "Why won't you let me see you?"

"_I can't Harry…there's nothing I want more than to- but if we touch I'll wake up, I know it."_

"You're dreaming again? Hermione," His voice had a slight growl now, "you know that's not safe."

"_I'm sorry." She whispered in return, and decided against telling him she could control the dreams now, at least she thought she could. _

"It doesn't matter. But listen, I want to see you, I won't touch you, I promise, I can cope…"

"_I can't!" Her voice was harsh too. "Harry I can't see you and not touch you, I'd have to know that you're real. I'm not strong enough. Sorry." __She listened to the silence and then slid down the tree and sat in the dirt, weirdly comfortable on the cold earth. _

Harry saw her sit and mimicked her movement, he risked a glance just out of the corner of his eye and saw a fraction of her arm, a small corner of elbow, bare skin that was a light tan colour and really very beautiful. He breathed a long sigh and looked away. "I've missed you. I _do _miss you." He ventured.

"_You have no idea…" She joked, "It was hell without you guys." _

"Guy-s?" He emphasized the 's' and it suddenly occurred to her that he had no idea what was going on.

"_Ginny, Ron and Luna came to find me, they had to scatter because there was a fight where they could communicate with you, that barn thing, and they lost it- or something. Anyway it's been a bit of a shock, having them all back. But I've got them- Ginny- safe." She listened extra hard but heard nothing that she did or didn't want to hear. No sigh of relief or sharp intake of breath. "She's missing you like crazy, that's why I came to find you."_

"You shouldn't have, you know how I feel about it." He looked up at the sky now, "But I'm very glad you did. I miss her too, but as long as she's safe, that's all I want."

"_Harry I have to go." She stood up sharply, feeling a huge, unexplainable tug on her mind, her body, and possibly her heart to__o. She began to walk away, "Harry I'm sorry, I've got to." _

Harry stood now, fast, desperately wanting to look at her, to grab her back, but he knew he couldn't- he wondered if it was possible to just snatch her from the dream and keep her here, with him, but he very much doubted it. "Hermione what is it?" He tried to keep his voice calm, "Where do you have to go?"

"_I just do I…"_

"What's happening?"

"_I think I'm waking up, I'm waking from the dream, but I'll need to be away from you." She lied, marveling at how much she was lying to people she cared about lately, "Harry, it's ok, I'm ok. Don't worry, ok?"_

Harry didn't get a chance to reply, he spun round to see her but she was long gone, frustrated but still somehow happy he turned away. _Best just to let her be, she knows what she's doing._

_She was tearing through the forest at an unbelievable pace now, all th__e while thinking, 'no please no, god no, anywhere else…please'. She could sense more than see in the distance there was a figure, and he made her shiver from here, he was pain and anger all in one. She was being drawn in, like magnetism. Hermione thought fast, she grabbed at a tree, but try as she might she couldn't hold herself steady, it cut into her hands as she desperately clawed to keep herself still- but she had known that wouldn't work, really. She tried the only other thing that made sense, she wished like crazy, wished that magic would get her out. She wished to be away from the ever nearer hooded figure who she was sure would kill her as soon as look at her. His passionate hate radiated out from him, also his frustration, an insane, niggling, frustration with the slow pace at which he was forced to move- it was like being trapped with legs when you were used to flight- Hermione sensed this all._

_With a rush of air her wish was granted, somehow, and she was moving forward again but this time in a harshly lit area. She blinked her eyes hard with shock, trying to shift the odd purple blotches that marred her vision after the sudden force of the lights. It was noisy too, noisy like hell, but some noises were comforting. There was screaming and shouting and an uncomfortable rushing and wooshing, but there was also the occasional laugh, there was a tasteless, tinny, tune playing from somewhere and there was the warm growl of an engine running some kind of machine. Hermione did a double take and noticed the things around her, the Ferris wheel, the carousel, the popcorn vendor that was producing the engine noise, a pond where people fished for rubber ducks under a bright, hot, lamp that just illuminated the pond and the people's faces, so they looked dismembered and strange. A fair ground? What the hell? She thought to herself. _

_She was moving around the edge of it, she would have completed a full circle of the bizarrely human scene in a few minutes, and then where would she move? Then she saw it. It was a slight tingle of nerves in her stomach that told her something was not normal here, and as she looked more closely they were everywhere. In the shadows stood more hooded people, but they neither noticed nor cared that she saw them, they stood or crouched like creepy guard dogs, black as death wherever there was a gap for shadows in the blinding light of the fair. Hermione gulped, she wanted to get out now, as she circled and saw more and more apparently harmless Death Eaters keeping an eye of the fair ground. Then her eyes found someone she'd long put to the back of her mind, hidden away in a corner, almost easy to forget but not quite. _

_The sharp, fair features of Draco Malfoy made her suck in her breath. Hermione had to resist the urge to call out, not sure if she could trust him, did she want to be seen? Did it matter in a dream? But it was too late to worry, as though he had sensed her he turned slowly, not drawing attention to himself. Draco was clearly as shocked as she was- he looked deeply at her. Then a slight smile crept onto his lips, barely there, he made a subtle shooing movement with his left hand and then winked. He was warning her, get the hell out of here. She wanted to. _

_Hermione glided on, worryingly out of control, round and round the fair ground another two times until finally she felt herself sliding back into consciousness. She turned her head back briefly to rest on the tree line behind the odd fair-like world. It looked foreboding compared with the almost-joyous affair she stood close to, and there was a figure, yet another darkened figure, in the tree line. She strained her eyes. It looked like it was Dean, but the dream was probably getting confused now, she was about to go._

Hermione ambled down stairs, still yawning, after she'd dressed and showered, a lot slower than the previous day. She entered the room to see the other three all awake, she was startled, looking quickly to the clock. The bright sunshine was horrible suddenly and it felt far too warm for the time of day it ought to be. Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth,

"I'm late, I'm so late, I completely over slept."

Ron looked like he was suppressing the urge to laugh at her falling apart, "How come you didn't hear your alarm?"

"My dream was kinda intense," She admitting, forgetting her lateness peril, "I, erm, saw Harry again. He's fine, I told him you were all ok, and updated him, best as I could."

All three listeners tense, when Luna finally spoke it was tentative, her voice quiet,

"How was he with that? He was adamant we'd never involve you again- he wasn't keen on the idea of you being magic again."

Hermione shrugged, "I'm not sure I am either." She took a deep breath, "It's going to be a while before I'm dreaming again I think. I don't have the control I thought I did- he almost had me tonight."

"Harry?"

"Voldemort." She replied reluctantly, ignoring the fearful looks and heading for the cupboard that contained her cereal. Hermione poured half a bowl of cornflakes and began to eat them dry, with her fingers, giggling as Ron gave her a strange look.

She decided to skip school today; what the hell? She could relax with the others, talk about normal things, watch some TV and make them snacks, that'd be nice after such a fraught few days.

"Hermione…come here." Ginny was frozen to the spot, watching the world outside the window through Hermione's lace curtains.

Hermione bit her lip, _bad tone of voice, wish I couldn't here it, why can't my wishes be granted in the real world? _"What?" Reluctantly she moved to stand by her.

"How long have those hooded people…" Ginny sighed, decided against patronization, "Those Death Eaters, been hanging around?"

"Death Eaters?" Her voice rose in alarm as she strained to see them just turning the corner, walking sedately as if their presence in a muggle street was normal. "Do they normally hang around?"

"Actually they do now," Ginny admitted, "Just pass through Muggle areas where they know witches or wizards might be watching- it's a threat."

"Well they certainly haven't been here before, it's probably just random it's…" She saw Ron and Luna stand up suddenly out of the corner of her eye, her heart sank about a million miles. "It's not though. Damn." She closed her eyes for a moment's peace, and escape, before she admitted her idiocy. "You know you said they could track apparition?"

"yeah." Ginny trod carefully, her voice heavy as led.

"I've been so stupid, when I escape my dreams, I switch 'scenes' if you like, I apparate."

"No, that's crazy, they're Dreams." Ron told her, firmly shaking his head.

But Hermione shook hers right back. "Not crazy, only we've been stupid not to notice it. It's why I'm so tired all the time, why I only go into them when no one is watching me. Remember you woke me up half way down to see Voldemort one time? And then Harry couldn't follow me in the forest when I said I had to go, just now. It's been getting obvious, the dreams are becoming less dream like and I keep leaving clues; I've left the door and the window open, I've felt cold when I wake up."

"Damn." Ron understood.

Luna looked between them worriedly, "Then why aren't the Death Eaters here already?"

"Because I never apparate directly here," Hermione wondered at her own cleverness sometimes, even in sleep; she enjoyed a moment's private gloat. "It must be my subconscious protecting me." Then it dawned on her how little that gained them, "But they've got the ball park area, we have got to get the hell out of here, they're looking- and there aren't that many places they can search before they find us."

Everyone looked panicked but Hermione felt a deadly calm steel through her veins. She looked around at their minimal belongings.

"Luna you're on food, raid my cupboards and get us some water too, and stuff it in that." She threw a cotton bag across to her, Luna fumbled and just caught it. "Ron pack up all your stuff here, fast. Ginny don't take your eyes off those Death Eaters, I'll be two minutes."

Hermione took the stairs two at a time, her strides making loud thuds. She reached her room and grabbed a jumper, _what else? What else? _She took a scarf and her school bag, although she had no idea what use it would be. She looked around hopeless, _who'd have thought all this stuff I have, that I've spent money on, would be so useless? I don't need any of it. _She grabbed her purse, what little she had in there definitely _would _be useful. Then she knew what she needed. She plunged her hand under her bed and fumbled for the velvet bag she knew was there. Her hand clasped it, finally, and dragged it out as she stood with difficulty.

Hermione threw herself down the last steps, "Alright let's get out." She lunged for the door, grabbing her parents' car keys.

"Wait!" Ginny snatched at her arm. "The Death Eaters are walking by again." The whole room froze, as still as they could bare and each of them throwing a silent prayer to whatever they believed would help them. "Ok we're clear."

She wrenched open the front door and ushered them out, dropping the latch to lock behind them. "Ron, can you drive?"

"What? I'm not nicking your Parents' car." He folded his arms.

"I didn't give you a choice." Hermione muttered, throwing him the keys.

He caught them mutinously, "Fine." And unlocked the red Crysler. Hermione got into the passenger seat and Ginny and Luna launched themselves onto the back seat. The car spluttered into life and Ron pushed it shakily out of neutral and rolled back off the drive. He obviously hadn't driven for a while, his steering was a little heavy, nearly landing them in next door's hedge; but Hermione barely noticed. "Where to?"

"I'll direct." She replied blankly, "We're going to London."

She was twitchy all the way out of her town, looking around every five seconds, feverishly searching for people that might be following them. She only relaxed when they hit the motorway, cruising much faster and with Ron's driving almost back in shape, but the car was still deadly silent. Hermione's phone vibrated in her pocket and she closed her eyes for a second before she answered the call,

"Hi Karl."

"Baby, where are you? I thought you might have missed the bus so I'm just driving to your house."

Hermione chewed her tongue, "I've, um, I had to go with my friends, I won't be long. I'll be back-" she hesitated, when would she be back? "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Hermione I…"

Her heart skipped a beat, "What darling?"

"There are people at your door, shall I tell them you're all out?"

"What people?" She drew in a sharp breath,

"They're kind of weird looking, Goths maybe, they're wearing all black-"

"Get out of there." She couldn't keep the panic out of her voice

"Hermione what's wr-"

"Karl, are you in the car?"

"Yes." He finally understood the seriousness of her tone,

"Drive, please, drive away fast before they see you."

"Hermione, what is going on?"

"Please do it!" She screamed suddenly, more scared than she'd been for herself when she'd seen the Death Eaters less than an hour ago.

"I'm driving baby, it's ok, I'm ok." His tone was gentle and she finally heard the rumble of his car engine in the background.

Hermione felt her breathing relax a little more. "Good."

"Who are they? What's going on?"

She took a deep breath. "You know you trust me one hundred percent?"

"Always."

"You're really going to have to Karl. You need to trust me without knowing why or expecting me to explain. Don't go back to my house until I say it's ok, don't even go near there, those people are dangerous."

"Are you ok baby, has something happened to you?"

"I'm fine. It's just…I just need to be away for a while," It was the hardest thing she'd ever had to explain, "I'm safe though ok, and I'll call you when we get where we're going. Ok?" _How can it be ok? _She thought, _It just has to be. _

"Hermione baby, please can you just explain?"

"I can't, Karl, I'm sorry. I have to go." She hung up quickly before he could question her any more.

Hermione could feel Ron's eyes on her as she put her phone away, but she couldn't meet them. Leaning her forehead on the window she stared out, unseeing, at the world rushing by and hated it. She forced away hot, painful tears, telling herself sternly to be strong, be stronger, for Harry and for Karl.

They drove right into London, Ron becoming extremely tense as Hermione's directions got progressively more wayward and the day wore on. She finally settle on a non-descript travel lodge, almost identical to every other they had past but in an area that was far enough away from the wizarding bits of London for Hermione to feel safe.

She negotiated a room with the nice, blonde, large-breasted lady at the entrance desk- who seemed unable to take her eyes off Ron- and then paid right away, anticipating them forgetting, or needed to bale quite quickly if a Death Eater came knocking.

"Room fourteen." She told them as they strode down the corridor. "It's first floor so good vantage point but also quick escape." She hissed.

They stepped out of the lift at the first floor and Hermione double checked room numbers before trying the key. It opened and they stepped into a small en-suite with two beds, a sofa bed and a desk with a TV and a kettle; nothing else. There was a window with a fairly wide ledge, she jabbed a finger at it.

"Twenty four seven guard," She instructed, "They can sit it out on the window while the others sleep and then we'll swap." The others looked reluctant and still very tired and Hermione began to wonder how long things had been bad for, how long had they been running, when was the last time before they got to her that they'd properly eaten or slept? "I'll take the first stint." She offered, and they all nodded gratefully.

Luna took the sofa and Ginny the bed nearest the door, leaving Ron on the bed by the window, watching Hermione at her vigil. Ginny snuggled down under the covers and rolled on her pillow,

"Why don't you go back and see that receptionist Ron?" She teased sleepily.

Ron was sat on the end of his bed, not looking like he was lying down to sleep any time soon, "Ha."

"No really, she couldn't take her eyes off you."

Luna rolled over and rustled ostentatiously, as if trying to draw the conversation elsewhere.

"Yeah well, she can look somewhere else." Ron muttered, not playing along. "There's only one girl for me."

Hermione could feel his eyes on her back but stared resolutely ahead as Luna made more unnecessary noise. Eventually Ron gave up looking and lay back on his pillows, on top of the covers. Hermione pulled out her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart. It rung eight times and then went to answer phone.

"Hi Karl…" She faltered, wanting badly to tell him how much she wanted to hear his voice. So many different wants of different things seemed to be burning her up. "I guess you're at the gym. I- erm-" Why was Ron so close? "I miss you already. We're in London, we're all ok. I'm really sorry about this, I'll try and explain when it's all over, I just need you to keep trusting me baby. It'll be over soon, I-"

"To re-record your message, press one, to hear your message played back, press-"

Glumly, Hermione hung up,_ I didn't really know how that sentence was going to end anyway. _She told herself.


	6. Hermione's First Day

**Author's Note: **_And here let the killer action begin, i'm sorry it's been a while, i hope you all enjoy it! **Please review, **i receive so many kind review from you all enjoying my story it's great to know so many of you have followed this story the whole way through and stuck with me! I love you guys. _

_The fair hummed in the centre of Hermione's unending circle. She wanted more control, she wanted to go into the miniature carnival instead of continually circling it. Why was she circling? What was she waiting for? The hooded figures still lurked in the shadows, as still as statues. Something wasn't right here but she couldn't place it. Two little witches skipped past hand in hand, a wizard trailed behind them holding a cellophane bag of candy and a precariously balanced glass bowl, somewhat like a goldfish bowl, but with a sprig of jasmine in place of the water environment and small dancing lights flying with purpose on and around it. __A lone dog crossed the fair, looking directly at her; she froze. The large, black creature cocked it's head when it saw her pause, delicately it raised its nose and sniffed the air. Hermione imagined different colours of scent from all around drifting towards its yielding nostrils. Then it turned and stalked away, quickly, and she continued to circle. _

_There he was again, older in so many ways than the Hogwarts Draco and more rugged, angular as she remembered, sharp eyes. He seemed less nervous than he had been once, but he wasn't in the presence of the Dark Lord right now. He looked at her and shrugged,_

"_Coming?" He whispered._

_Hermione shook her head firmly, "You cut your ties Draco Malfoy- I told you you'd regret it." Her voice hissed. She felt the pain all over again, the time he'd walked away from the freedom she'd wanted to share with him, back when she thought he was more special than just a lackey of the Dark Lord._

"_You know where to find me." His voice was hard and he turned his back on her. Then the fair grew more distant, the cyclic sounds, that seemed trapped in that place when all it around was silent, began to fade. _

_Hermione was on a dirty London street. Had she apparated here? In full view of everyone? The just-dawn traffic sped past, too early for jams, a few people littered the pavement much further down and the street lamps were still lit. She heard the thumping of music from a party still happening somewhere and glanced around for it, then remembered she had to get back. A few lights were popping up here and there in the flats opposite, she scoured the street, Hermione knew she'd find a way in her dream-state to get back to the hotel. As she turned she felt a shiver down her spine. She couldn't look back, someone was watching her and she knew if she looked back they'd have a dark cloak on, their hood up, and they'd probably have a wand hidden on their person. Her feet moved faster than she'd thought possible. _

Hermione choked as she woke and threw herself right out of bed; they'd all slept in clothes. "Get out." Her voice was surprisingly steady, steadier than Ginny's when she found her words,

"What did you see? Is it Harry?"

"I couldn't get to Harry."

"I thought you could control it."

"Working on it." Hermione snapped, "Anyway, the Death Eaters are going to be here, soon. We need to run." No one argued, no one complained or even passed comment- what was the use? This was going to be it for a while now, nowhere was safe.

The cleared out of the hotel and into the London melee as fast as they could. Hermione was crossed between paranoid and petrified, she either stared dead ahead in a steely calm or twitched around every five seconds to check for danger. Her fist kept clenching, expecting to find a comforting piece of wood that held all of her power, but of course it wasn't there, it hadn't been there for a long, long time. Ginny walked by her and Ron and Luna came behind. Hermione's phone buzzed in her pocket,

"Oh not now," She groaned. "Hello?"

"Hermy,"

"Oh god it's good to hear your voice. Are you driving again?" For a moment the situation fell away and it was just her and Karl, "You have _got _to stop using your phone in the car, it's so dangerous."

"I know baby. Where abouts in London are you?"

Now she was fearful, "no way Karl, you can't come here."

"I am, just tell me where you are."

"_No!_"

"I'm coming Hermione, I'll call you when I get into London and park up, I'm nearly there, just about to pull off the motorway."

"Then get off your phone." Hermione insisted, her voice high pitched, and hung up. Her head was spinning, it was like trying to walk while your brain was doing a spinning top impression, she kept staggering by accident.

Then up ahead, just as she'd let her guard down, were three black-cloaked figures, converging on the end of the street. They were looking the other way. "Get down." She instructed, darting under a newsagents awning and nearly knocking a middle aged couple flat on their faces. The others followed clumsily. "We need to get under ground."

Hermione heard vague noises of protest as she grabbed Ron's arm and launched them all towards the underground station. It's austere, fake-looking, red bricks marked her only foreseeable path to safety. "Keep watch." She'd become monosyllabic with fear. Hermione threw money into the ticket machine and randomly hammered at buttons till four tickets slowly chuntered down into the collection tray. She beckoned to the others who'd been keeping vigil, as conspicuous as hell, and they followed her down a sloping arched corridor.

"Did they see us?" Luna asked, catching up to her just as they turned off the crowded corridor and onto an escalator.

"I don't know, I'd guess yes."

"They always see." Ron muttered darkly.

Hermione's breath stuck in her throat then, uncomfortably damp. The escalator was moving too slowly and she felt trapped. Her phone vibrated again. "Karl."

"Hermione I parked up at an NCP near to Waterloo station, I'm on the underground now, I'm coming to find you and we'll sort this mess out…" His voice trailed off in Hermione's head as she searched the walls feverishly, dismissing passing film and theatre posters and warnings about unattended baggage, till she found the comforting station name.

"Earls Court!" She squealed, almost beside herself in delight. "I'm at Earls Court. Get to the district line baby."

"Stay there." He warned,

"I won't be far away, keep calling." She pleaded.

They thundered down onto a platform, buffeted from all angles Hermione strained to see the electronic board. She worried for a second about the others getting lost without her, but they couldn't slow up, they'd just have to deal. "This train." She hollered back. A minute was too long as she tapped her foot in the center of the small group, all of them panting and looking about them in panic. _We must look like criminals running from the police, _the thought occurred to her briefly. The train screeched to a halt, all noise and commotion as people piled forwards and surged backwards, a pulsing crowd each member with his or her most important purpose and nothing would stop them. Ron forced a gap in the crowd for them to squeeze onto the train. Ginny and Luna held onto the poles for dear life as they paused, tense, in the doorway, ready to hop off at a seconds notice. Hermione scanned the train, relieved by the monotony of other people's lives; no one cared that they were there.

"Off." Ron muttered suddenly as the train slowed.

"What?" Her eyes darted around, looking for an answer.

Ron shoved her forwards and guided the other two through the doors and onto the platform. The sign read, South Kensington, only one station down from their last. "Death Eaters, four carriages up." He explained, as they were drawn, as by a suction pump, into the crowd.

Hermione felt panic rise again, her phone rung. She flipped it open "South Kensington. We'll be on the platform, one of them, I think." She hung up again before Karl could reply, just waiting long enough to hear his gentle breath. "We need to go deeper," She announced as they moved- they mustn't stop moving or they'd be dead meat.

"Oh, deeper into what? We'll end up trapped in a dead end and get picked off." Ginny challenged,

"No go down." Luna surprised them all, "It'll be easier to lose them, plus there's lots of ways round if you know how." She shrugged modestly, as if be chased through the underground system was all in a day's work for her.

"Right then," Hermione seized the moment, "Let's head down for Piccadilly." They set off briskly down stairs and escalators, even Hermione agreed getting in a lift would be suicide.

When they hit the platform they paused, out of breath, for less than half a second. Ron looked behind and then began to run- the others didn't even need to ask why. They were being followed, and worse, they were being caught up to. Hermione's feet pounded on the concrete as they thundered up the platform, heading for something Luna had spotted, and the rhythm reverberated through her teeth and rattled her brain,

"Down here." Luna jabbed a finger ahead of her to a small green door Hermione had never noticed before. Ignoring the people, the tiny blonde girl whipped out her wand and silently unlocked it. They filed inside. Their breath echoed off the walls loudly in the barely illuminated tunnel. It was thin, and the light seemed grubby as the door shut automatically behind them, but it was made of the same material as the rest of the station, it definitely belonged here. "Escape tunnel, there are huge networks down here."

Hermione moved to be behind Luna at their steady jog they had taken up, "No, I've been in an escape tunnel once, it wasn't like this."

"Wizarding escape tunnels." She replied easily, "From the last great War. I'll fill you in another time."

Hermione nodded gratefully. Her nerves weren't feeling patient enough for history right now.

The tunnel curved round to the right, then they took a sharp left turn, and appeared to double back some while later. Hermione was beyond lost, all she knew was that not too long ago they'd heard the door open behind them and now they were in the labyrinth, with Luna playing guide, and Death Eaters tracking them.

"There's someone moving ahead." They all listened on Luna's cue. The tunnel was narrow here and Hermione felt a claustrophobic dread rise inside her chest, she didn't want to be trapped. Her phone buzzed but she ignored it. Somewhere back down the corridor the door slammed again. _Focus Hermione! _She heard a crying up the tunnel, and a scurrying of multiple footsteps, heavy breathing every few seconds.

"Don't want to be under cautious but the sounds less sneaky and more panicky." She whispered into the shadows.

"Yeah." Ron sounded hesitant, and then, "Yeah, let's carry on."

Her feet managed to somehow maneuver themselves into a running pace again as they charged forward and into a slightly brighter pool of light. Suddenly they were fighting through a mass of rags and people, adults and children and even a dog, all moving around the corridor but in a mess, not getting anywhere. The noises were distressing but Hermione and the others had to plough on through, no time now. Three paces away from the group, maybe a few more, a man stood alone in the corridor, facing the way they were heading with his wand drawn. Ron slowed and stopped

"What is it?" He asked the guy, young-ish, dirty and tired, piled with oversized clothes.

"Wolf pack coming, they've been chasing us for days. We've decided to make a stand." He added the last gruffly, sounding proud.

"Useless mate." Ron told him bluntly, "People coming up behind, you'll get ambushed." He turned to the girls and raised his eyebrows, "What are we gonna do? They're coming from both sides." Hermione shook her head helplessly, her brain wasn't functioning properly.

"I saw another escape door back down the tunnel, the way we came- I think." Luna sounded uncertain.

"I'll take it." Hermione decided firmly, and they all turned, elbowing their way back through the small crowd.

They hurtled back down the way they'd come, Hermione's eyes scanning the walls desperately, "There!" She yelled, skidding to a halt by a narrow black doorway, "We can destroy it behind us." Luna unlocked it again and jumped straight through, holding it for the others. But Ginny remained still, she grabbed Hermione by the arm,

"What about them?" She gestured down the corridor.

"What about them?" Hermione was exasperated, "It's them or us."

"I'm not leaving them, there's kids there, they're all going to die." She folded her arms stubbornly and Hermione exchanged a cold look with Ron.

"For God's sake Ginny!" She yelled in frustration, "If we get killed I'm blaming you." The two girls glared at each other for a second before they began to run back up the corridor. Luna remained to guard the door.

Ginny broke forward, her legs longer than Hermione's, and began to yell "Get back! Get down the corridor. You can't stay here." People looked bewildered, there was swearing and shouting, then the first scream. They began to move, thundering, running, in all directions, a huge panicky stampede that Ginny's stupidity had managed to cause. Ginny was forced against a wall and Hermione swept back with the crowd, almost falling over a dog that tried to force its way through her legs, it was making for the exit they had ready with a bundle in its mouth- at least someone saw what they were trying to do. Ron shoved forward through them, trying to get to the man charged with the duty of protecting the tunnel. Hermione grabbed the hand of the nearest person to her and wrenched them in the direction of safety, determined to save someone. She refused to let go of their sweaty palm and hurled them through the small doorway. Other people saw and surged towards her, but everything was happening much too late.

"Death Eaters!" Hermione screamed, sending a shudder of yet deeper panic through the crowd so that the pushing became more frantic.

Luna appeared suddenly, looking bizarrely calm. "Get through the door." She whispered

"What?"

"Hermione, get out of the fight, we don't want you doing magic." Luna's gentle eyes seemed to make it all ok. It seemed to make sense coming from her, _I can't do magic, I can't do magic. _Hermione chanted it over in her head as she struggled with the others to get through the door.

Once over the threshold Hermione pinned herself back against the tunnel wall while people streamed around her, scrabbling to get as faraway as possible in any direction. Hermione just clung to the cold damp brick and closed her eyes tight,

"Wolf Pack. Wolf Pack." She heard Ron yell from his end of the tunnel and she slid down the wall, hugging her arms around her knees, pulling herself into a ball and holding her breath, praying she wouldn't be found and asked to fight.

"Get in."

"Move."

"I'm not leaving you."

There were yells coming from all directions, then a scream of pure pain. Hermione was shocked into standing, she felt sick, most of all was the pressing, paralyzing, fear that she didn't want to be evil again- she couldn't feel that way, or do those things, not ever. Three witches pushed past her, carrying a fourth- presumably the one who'd screamed- and hurtled down the corridor and an alarming rate.

"That's it, that's everyone." Luna cried, backing through the doorway, firing carefully aimed spells as she did. Ginny backed into her, sheltering under Luna's wand arm as they edged through the narrow gap, Hermione thought her heart was going to break through her rib cage.

"Ready to do put up a defense?" Ginny asked her comrade

"I'm ready. Come on Ron." Luna pleaded, a quiver in her voice.

"I'm- arrgh!" Ron cried out in fear and in pain.

Hermione stopped breathing, she stopped being able to function as images of what might be going on behind the door flashed in front of her eyes, making it impossible to move. Ginny ducked out into the fight again, Luna swayed and gripped the door frame, then continued fighting. There was a panic, a jumble at the door, too much activity, bodies desperately trying to get through and a hail of spells, friendly and hostile, flying in all directions. Hermione flung herself back against the cool, friendly, wall, gripping onto to it for safety. She heard the door grind shut and the thud of several bodies throwing their weight against it.

She forced herself to look round. Hermione willed it not to be happening, but Ron lay on the floor, writhing in pain, thrashing a little, and Ginny knelt by him and gripped him, her face strewn with tears, they were both drenched in his blood. Hermione jolted into action. She fell forward, dropping to her knees on the cold, damp, floor and searched, horrified, for a scrap of his face that still looked like Ron. His skin was torn in a long gash, straight from his temple, just missing his eye, across the bridge of his nose and down the cheek, along the neck. There were more, deeper slashes all over his body, the blood obscuring most of the damage; it was already soaked through his clothes and seemed to be breeding on the floor around them, staining the knees of Hermione's trousers, collecting in the crevices, the natural imperfections of the skin, in her hands. She realized she was crying hard.

Hermione's hands skimmed his broken body, looking for intact bits of her old friend that she could touch. Suddenly his body jerked, he cried out, limbs flailing, what she could see of his face contorted in pain. Hermione felt that pain flow through her and she gasped too, mimicking Ginny and helping to hold him still.

"What's happened to him?" She pleaded with her friend, eyes locking onto her face in desperation.

"Were-w-wolf." She stammered, her face as pale as ice.

Hermione's brain stumbled over the word. She felt like she was falling, stupidly fast, rushing for a rocky bottom and there was nothing that would save her. She felt her body brace for impact. "Ron," She mumbled, placing a bloody hand on a bit of his cheek that was familiar, a little rough with stubble and stained in dark red but still there, she saw his blood filled eye roll in roughly her direction. "Oh Ron, you idiot you should have stayed back. Please…you've gotta make it, we're not done here, I need you Ron. We've barely even started, I just got you back- I-"

"Hermione." Luna's pained voice broke through her monologue, "You need to come here." Hermione looked up and dragged her hand from its resting place. Luna was waiting a little way off, clearly distraught but oddly holding herself together, it made for a strange picture.

Hermione met Ginny's eyes and the younger girl nodded.

"It's my fault, you were right, it's my fault." She whispered through a screen of red hair that had fallen across her face.

She didn't hesitate, she sprinted over to Luna; Hermione didn't have time for Ginny's guilt right now, she'd find a way to save Ron. "Is he going to be a Werewolf?" She asked bluntly, feeling at once cold and burningly hot.

"I don't know, I don't know much about it." Luna's voice was uneasy, her eyes weren't on Hermione. Her hands shook as she took something out from the inside of her jacket. "Hermione, you remember when I told you 'we all need time', that time was the only thing…"

"What?" Hermione snapped. Then thought back involuntarily. Luna had meant Ginny needed time to accept Hermione, and then she'd gone more philosophical and Hermione hadn't understood, it had been in the Griffindor Common Room, right after she'd floored Ginny in their duel. "Yes, I remember" She returned reluctantly.

"Well, you've got it."

"Luna what are you talking about?" She wanted to grab the younger girl and shake her, get her to answer straight for once.

Luna finally pulled out an over large hour-glass, inside the sand was pure gold, it may have been flecks of gold, only they seemed to be alive. "This is a Time Turner. A Time Turner is-"

"I remember." Hermione cut in quickly, recalling a lecture from Harry on messy crossing over time lines where two of 'you' exist.

"Right," Luna waited, and then talked as though she was stating the obvious. "You've got to use it."

"What? Why me?"

"Because…" Luna faltered, "I'm meant to say something really meaningful at this point but I can't think of anything 'cause-" She faltered and watched Ron for a second, "Just please, because you're the most powerful, I just don't think I can do it, and I think Ginny will mess it up by trying too hard."

"Ok." Hermione gulped down sick as she heard Ron yell, all too willing to do anything to help him, anything in the world. "How am I going to know what to do with the whole messed up, two me's, kinda thing?"

"there won't be,"

"What now?" Hermione had never been more lost in her whole life, her breath wasn't working properly and her brain wasn't working without oxygen.

"The first fight we properly put up, the one that eventually lead them to track us to our hiding spot, was when they went in and destroyed all the time turners at the ministry. This is the most precious and last one left, it _literally _rewinds the day, completely. No two of you, no sneaking into your own timeline, just a do over. This one is the only one we could save, it's got about eighteen hours, not the full twenty four I'm afraid."

"Got it." She felt grim, seeing Luna turn a bit greyer as Ron's pained yell became an animalistic snarl.

"We won't remember, so it's all on you. Sorry," Apparently she couldn't wait any longer, the tiny blonde girl darted across to Ron and began feverishly grabbing bits of his body the way that Hermione had done.

"I thought it would be." She whispered to herself.

Outside was quieter now, the noises methodical, like they'd set up a guard. Most noise was in the form of Ron's terrible, gut shaking, screams, reverberating painfully around the passageway. Hermione caught the damp, close air in her throat and struggled to push through a full breath. More footsteps joined the corridor outside, she had to hurry. Ron thrashed more violently, completely throwing Ginny off into the wall, leaving Luna clinging determinedly for dear life. Blood flew across the corridor in alarming spurts, splattering all the walls and the ceiling. There was a surge of noise outside, a flash of light,

"Come on!" Luna screamed desperately, struggling with the bulk of Ron tossing her to and fro.

Hermione closed her eyes and turned the hour glass.


	7. Hermione's Day Over

**Author's Note: **_ Hope you enjoy this chapter as always...erm yes they are getting progressively longer haha! sorry, it happens. Please keep the reviews rolling in because I even love the criticism, some of you are reading this so closely and getting so involved it's beautiful to hear what you think, even if you're just nudging me to hurry up with the next chapter! Love always. x_

_The fair hummed in the centre of Hermione's unending circle. She wanted more control, she wanted to go into the miniature carnival instead of continually circling it. Why was she circling? What was she waiting for? The hooded figures still lurked in the shadows, as still as statues. Something wasn't right here but she couldn't place it. Two little witches skipped past hand in hand, a wizard trailed behind them holding a cellophane bag of candy and a precariously balanced glass bowl, somewhat like a goldfish bowl, but with a sprig of jasmine in place of the water environment and small dancing lights flying with purpose on and around it. _

_Hermione felt something heavy and cold in her hand, it was the Time Turner, that beautiful little hour glass but now it had no sand left, it had vanished as the time had. She gulped, remembering everything she had to change and what rested on it. A lone dog crossed the fair, looking directly at her; she froze. The large, black creature cocked it's head when it saw her pause, delicately it raised its nose and sniffed the air. Hermione imagined different colours of scent from all around drifting towards its yielding nostrils. Then it turned and stalked away, quickly, and she continued to circle. _

_There he was again, older in so many ways than the Hogwarts Draco and more rugged, angular as she remembered, sharp eyes. He seemed less nervous than he had been once, but he wasn't in the presence of the Dark Lord right now. He looked at her and shrugged, she knew what he was about to offer._

"_Coming?" He whispered._

_Hermione shook her head firmly, "You cut your ties Draco Malfoy- I told you you'd regret it." Her voice hissed. She felt the pain all over again, the time he'd walked away from the freedom she'd wanted to share with him, back when she thought he was more special than just a lackey of the Dark Lord._

"_You know where to find me." His voice was hard and he turned his back on her. She knew she was about to go now, there was something calming about keeping things very similar to how they had been before, something rhythmic. Then the fair grew more distant, the cyclic sounds, that seemed trapped in that place when all it around was silent, began to fade. _

_Hermione was on a dirty London street. She no longer worried about how or why, she didn't hear any of the beautiful Muggle sounds that swooped in the air around her, instead she began to run right away, ignoring the tingling sensation of being watched, not wasting time looking back, just running to the hotel. She returned from the dream faster this time. _

Hermione choked as she woke and threw herself right out of bed; they'd all slept in clothes. "Get out." Her voice was calm now, steadier than Ginny's when she found her words,

"What did you see? Is it Harry?"

"I couldn't get to-" Hermione stopped herself knowing they couldn't go through this ritual again, things needed to happen faster. "The Death Eaters are going to be here, soon. We need to run." No one argued, no one complained or even passed comment- what was the use? This was going to be it for a while now, nowhere was safe.

The cleared out of the hotel and into the London melee as fast as they could. Hermione was sure their only likely escape was the same way as before, they had to end up in the same place she could feel that, it was like a drag on her body, like gravity. She'd get them there more smoothly though, she thought, leading them skillfully down a short cut that brought them straight onto the station road. Her fist kept clenching, expecting to find a comforting piece of wood that held all of her power, but of course it wasn't there, it hadn't been there for a long, long time. Ginny walked by her and Ron and Luna came behind. Hermione's phone buzzed in her pocket. _Karl, I know how this is going to go down. _

"Karl get off your phone." She instructed harshly,

"baby I'm just-"

"I know. Pull off the motorway and come into London then," She added, "I know there's no point arguing, but you shouldn't be here."

"Erm…ok." He sounded confused, who wouldn't?

"It's good to hear your voice." She told him quietly, and then hung up.

There they were, just up ahead as she'd remembered, three black-cloaked figures, converging on the end of the street. They were still, thankfully, looking the other way. "We need to get under ground." She headed straight for the tube station, not bothering with sneaking or hiding. Hermione heard the vague noises of protest as she grabbed Ron's arm and launched them all towards the underground station. "Keep watch." She remembered last time, "Actually, forget it, head for those barriers and hide in the crowd, I'll bring tickets." They looked unsure, all of them. "Just bloody do it."

Hermione threw money into the ticket machine and this time instantly found the quickest way to release their tickets. She scooped them up and threw them at the others, gliding through the barriers without a hitch and then proceeding down the arched, sloping corridor.

"We need to do this bit quicker." Hermione muttered, speeding up.

Luna frowned; it would be Luna to pick up on the weirdness of this, to know something was different, "What did you say?"

"Never mind, just move quicker. Trust me." She added her plea.

"Did they see us?" Luna asked again, catching up to her just as they turned off the crowded corridor and onto an escalator.

"They always see." Hermione whispered.

Ron's gaze snapped to her, "I was going to say that." He commented.

"I know." She glanced up, worriedly, "Oh, never mind."

The escalator was moving too slowly, she began to step down it, two steps at a time, indicating that the others should follow. Her phone vibrated again. She didn't even bother to go through the conversation ritual as her feet hit solid ground,

"Earl's Court, District Line. Keep calling." And then she hung up, before she'd even heard him draw breath.

Ginny looked at her oddly, "What's going on Hermione?"

"You'll see. Don't lose me down here."

They thundered down onto a platform, buffeted from all angles Hermione glanced at the electronic board without really seeing it. "This train." She hollered back. A minute was too long and she knew it, why hadn't they been just a bit faster? Then maybe they could have made the train before. Hermione was panicked, she didn't know if she was making a difference at all. _We must look like criminals running from the police, _the thought occurred to her briefly and she attempted to pull her composure together, maybe if they could blend better into the Muggle crowd then the Death Eaters wouldn't find them as easily- _like that's going to make a difference Mione_. The train screeched to a halt, all noise and commotion as people piled forwards and surged backwards, a pulsing crowd each member with his or her most important purpose and nothing would stop them. Ron forced a gap in the crowd for them to squeeze onto the train. Ginny and Luna held onto the poles for dear life as they paused, tense, in the doorway, ready to hop off at a second's notice. Hermione scanned the train, relieved by the monotony of other peoples' lives; no one cared that they were there. And yet she knew her assumption was wrong, the Death Eaters were already on this train. She walked up the train through their carriage, the others, tired already, dragging in her wake but willingly. They were one carriage further away now.

"Off." Ron muttered suddenly as the train slowed.

Hermione was already at the door, waiting impatiently for them to glide across, wishing the London transport system could provide her with a little more urgency today of all days.

Ron shoved Luna forwards and guided Ginny through the doors and onto the platform. They would be at South Kensington, only one station down from their last. "Death Eaters, five carriages up." He explained, as they were drawn, as by a suction pump, into the crowd. But Hermione didn't listen, she began to move forward, waiting for her phone to ring.

Finally it did, she flipped it open "South Kensington. We'll be on the platform, one of them, I think." She knew she ought to hang up before Karl could reply, but she waited just a fraction too long, memorizing his gentle breath.

"I'm almost there, less than two minutes. Can you just stay put?" He begged,

Hermione frowned, she hated having to be spontaneous in this day, she wanted things to just flow. It was easier to hang up than formulate a thought. "We need to go deeper," She announced as they moved- they mustn't stop moving.

"Oh, deeper into what? We'll end up trapped in a dead and get picked off." Ginny challenged,

"No go down." Luna surprised all but Hermione,

"Yeah, Luna knows the way." Hermione didn't think before she spoke.

Luna shrugged modestly, as if being chased through the underground system was all in a day's work for her. "Yeah, I suppose I do. But how-"

"Never mind," Hermione seized the moment, "Let's head down for Piccadilly but it would be great if we could run from now on in. And to save the argument, not let's not get the lift." They set off briskly down stairs and escalators, Hermione trying to stretch her paces to longer than last time, wondering whether here was where the difference could be made; who knew?

When they hit the platform Hermione refused to let them stop- the others didn't even need to ask why. They were being followed, and they might soon be caught up to if she didn't keep them heading right. It was odd leading the pack, this should have been Luna. Hermione's feet pounded on the concrete as they thundered up the platform, and the rhythm reverberated through her teeth and rattled her brain. She took them right towards the little door, apparently invisibly to Muggles.

"Open it." She called to Luna.

Ignoring the people, the tiny blonde girl whipped out her wand and silently unlocked it. They filed inside. Their breath echoed of the walls loudly in the barely illuminated tunnel.

"Lock it." Hermione commanded now, determined to make life a little harder for the Death Eaters. It was narrow, and the light seemed grubby but the walls were made of the same material as the rest of the station, it definitely belonged here.

"Wizarding escape tunnels." Luna spoke easily as they ran, "From the last great War. I'll fill you in another time."

Hermione nodded but really couldn't care less, she doubted she wanted the history lesson even if they did manage to avert disaster today.

She had memorized the tunnel curves and refused to be over taken, knowing where they must go. Hermione had had a small internal battle about whether it wouldn't just be easier to run in the complete opposite direction, as far as possible from the Wolf Pack- but had ultimately decided against it. She ran down the first right, then they took a sharp left turn, and appeared to double back some while later. She heard the tunnel door open and close with a bang not long after this double-back and knew the Death Eaters tracking them through the labyrinth; now the clock was really ticking and she knew she wouldn't get another shot at this.

"There's someone moving ahead." They all listened on Luna's cue. The tunnel was narrow here and Hermione felt a claustrophobic dread rise inside her chest, she remembered feeling so trapped. She refused to let fear cloud her mind, she needed focus. Her phone buzzed but she ignored it. Somewhere back down the corridor the door slammed again.

"There's no danger." She remembered and began to move.

"Wait." Ron sounded hesitant,

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. I'll explain later." She promised desperately into the shadows, and heard the others follow her faithfully. She'd never found any other friends quite like these.

Her feet managed to somehow maneuver themselves into a running pace again as they charged forward and into a slightly brighter pool of light. Even though she was expecting it, it was somehow still sudden and they were fighting through a mass of rags and people, adults and children and even a dog, all moving around the corridor but in a mess, not getting anywhere. The noises were distressing but Hermione and the others had to plough on through, no time now. _Maybe this is it, _she thought, _maybe this is where we went wrong, we should keep moving instead of stop, and we'll find a way round the Wolf Pack further up. _Three paces away from the group, maybe a few more, the man stood alone in the corridor, facing the way they were heading with his wand drawn. Ron slowed and stopped

"What is it?" He asked the guy, young-ish, dirty and tired, piled with oversized clothes.

"Wolf pack coming, they've been chasing us for days. We've decided to make a stand." He added the last gruffly, sounding proud.

"Useless mate." Ron told him bluntly, "People coming up behind, you'll get ambushed." He turned to the girls and raised his eyebrows, "What are we gonna do? They're coming from both sides."

Before Hermione could think about them running the way they were already heading and how she was going to persuade the others that this was a sound idea Luna chipped in

"I saw another escape door back down the tunnel, the way we came- I think."

It took a split second and she knew that would be the only escape. "I'll take it." Hermione decided firmly, and they all turned, elbowing their way back through the small crowd.

They hurtled back down the way they'd come, Hermione waiting for it to appear, surprised when it came quicker than she remembered. "There!" She yelled, skidding to a halt by a narrow black doorway, "We can destroy it behind us." Luna unlocked it again and jumped straight through, holding it for the others. But Ginny remained still, she grabbed Hermione by the arm,

"What about them?" She gestured down the corridor.

"What about them?" Hermione was exasperated, this was where they had to make up their time, this was where they left unscathed or stayed and got Ron killed, "It's them or us."

"I'm not leaving them, there are kids there, they're all going to die." She folded her arms stubbornly and Hermione exchanged a desperate look with Ron. There was so much there, running through her mind, they needed to leave now, what if this was the last glimpse she caught of Ron as he was? Could she live with herself if she failed? Could they live with themselves any other way? All this, the life and death being weighed out on a line, happened in a split second.

"For God's sake Ginny!" She yelled in frustration, "If we get killed –" Hermione stopped, remembering the last time she'd let Ginny take the blame. The guilty little sister drenched in her brother's blood, believing it was all her fault. Ginny glared. Hermione suddenly pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Thanks." She whispered, and let go, making to run,

"For what?" Ginny was shocked,

"For keeping me grounded." Hermione replied honestly, knowing this was the only way.

Hermione remembered the panic of before and got ahead of Ginny, "Listen!" She yelled from the bottom of her lungs, hearing her voice echo about, causing a certain amount of quiet in the ranks. Everyone's breath in the gloom spelled out the word 'fear', smearing it up and down the walls. "I need you all to calmly make your way up the corridor, quickly, no pushing, but get yourselves through the door up there. Our friend is guarding it for you." People looked bewildered, there was swearing and muttering.

"Follow me." Ginny instructed, drawing on Hermione's calm despite her own wide eyed fear. They began to move, an ordered rumble of feet and people that forced Hermione back against a wall, knocking the breath out of her for a moment. Ron shoved forward through them, trying to get to the man charged with the duty of protecting the tunnel. They moved with steely efficiency and within a minute all the people and bundles on the floor had mobilized, the crowd was a moving energy. Hermione fought her way up the corridor almost falling over a dog that tried to force its way through her legs, it was making for the exit they had ready with a bundle in its mouth, she stopped short and watched it for a moment. She knew she wasn't mistaken, it was the dog from the Fair in her dream. It looked up and paused, watched her for a second, and then snuck on, winding through peoples' legs easily. What was it doing here? What did it mean? It _knew _her, it wanted something from her. Hermione didn't have time to figure out what, she shoved her way out of the tail end of the crowd, almost pleased because things were happening faster, and found Ron standing in the corridor with the man.

"Get back!" She called up to him.

Ron spun round at her voice but shook his head, his expression was pained, like looking at her hurt him. "Not till everyone's safe." He explained.

Hermione toyed for a moment with the idea, and then decided she needed to be straight with him. "This has happened before, I used this," She held up the empty time turner, "To try and make things right. Last time we did this, you got attacked by one of the Wolf Pack and I think you died." Her voice shook, "I'm not letting that happen again. If you get back now I can save you."

"Death Eaters!" Luna screamed from further up, sending a shudder of yet deeper panic through the crowd so that the pushing became frantic suddenly, near to the door, everyone wanted out.

"Lu!" Ron suddenly jolted out of position, peering worriedly for his friend down the tunnel. He locked his eyes back onto Hermione. "You're so brave." He told her quietly, brushing a hand over her sweat stained cheek and then down her neck. He leaned and kissed her cheek, his nose brushing her ear, his lips gently imparting their tenderness onto her skin. She didn't have time to figure it out.

Luna appeared suddenly, looking bizarrely calm. "Get through the door." She spoke to Hermione but her gaze followed Ron as he coaxed the brave defender in the direction of safety, with promises of future battles full of glory.

"What?"

"Hermione, get out of the fight, we don't want you doing magic." Luna's gentle eyes seemed to make it all ok. It seemed to make sense coming from her, _I can't do magic, I can't do magic. _Hermione chanted it over in her head as she struggled with the others to get through the door. Her phone buzzed again but she let it ring.

Once over the threshold Hermione pinned herself back against the tunnel wall while people streamed around her, scrabbling to get as faraway as possible in any direction. Hermione just clung to the cold damp brick and closed her eyes tight,

"Wolf Pack. Wolf Pack." She heard Ron yell much closer than before. She felt ok, she felt assured.

"Get in."

"Move."

"I'm not leaving you."

There were yells coming from all directions as the last person, the defender, climbed through the door, followed by Ron, Luna and Ginny.

"That's it, that's everyone." Luna cried, firing one carefully aimed spell as she closed the door. Hermione thought her heart was going to break through her chest; 'it's all on you' Luna had said- well she'd done it.

"Bloody hell I did it." Hermione punched the air and Ron laughed aloud, this being such an un-Hermione-like thing to do. The others looked confused.

Hermione held up the Time Turner, but no sooner had she got it to eye level than it disintegrated, crumbled through her fingers and became dust at the bottom of the escape tunnel. "I guess that means I've done my bit." She mused, then explained to the others about Luna giving her the Time Turner and, very briefly with not much detail, about what had happened to Ron that she'd had to change. She grinned at him across the corridor, more relieved than any of them because she fully understood what might have happened, it made her shudder to think about what she'd seen. It felt odd that she was the only one that would have to carry the scars, the burden of those memories that had conveniently left the others forever.

Outside was quieter now, the noises methodical, like they'd set up a guard.

"We should go." Her voice sounded nice at this volume, no screaming and no whispering, just even speech.

"Wait,"

_Bloody hell, why is it always Ginny? _She thought and warily asked, "What?"

"This," Ginny crouched to floor level and the others drew closer, wondering what she'd found.

On the floor was a bundle, the bundle the dog had been carrying in its mouth, just left there, abandoned on the cold floor. Ginny sorted through the heap of rags and then gasped, but didn't move away. Luna crouched too. It was Lu who turned to Hermione, they'd somehow decided she was the leader of the group,

"It's a baby." Her voice was strange, disbelieving, but soft.

Hermione looked exasperated, "Well it's not mine." She pointed out. More footsteps joined the corridor outside, they'd have to hurry now.

"We can't keep it." Ron defended her.

"We can't leave it." Ginny insisted, picking up the tiny bundle and hugging it to her chest.

Hermione could hardly see any baby for the amount of blankets around it, but one tiny foot, barely the size of her palm, dangled from the right of the mess that Ginny was clutching. She looked at Ron, at Luna and Ginny on the floor, and remembered the dream. The dog knew this was going to happen, it had chosen her, or more precisely _them,_ to guard this baby, for whatever reason. "Nothing happens by chance." She pointed out, "Let's take the baby and go."

They turned to leave, the way most of the other witches and wizards had gone, but there was a commotion outside, the footsteps seemed panicked as muffled voices yelled from behind the door. They sped up their pace. Then a flash, entering through the gaps in the door, bright green, filled their tunnel for a second. And a yell was heard, a cold male yell, the sound of somebody bowing to an Avada Kedavra curse- Hermione's heart stopped.

A dread swept her body instantly, she had no control. Her world was rent apart. The next few minutes were a slow motion blur for Hermione.

She tried to run for the door, she wanted to kill everyone she found. Ron was there quicker, he caught one arm across her chest, pressing her struggling body back against his, pinning her to the spot, and placed the other hand over her mouth, restraining her screams and sobs, trying to keep her quiet. He clamped her to him, letting her lash out and hit him, straining to get free, he just held her close inside his iron grip and looked at the ceiling, willing himself not to cry for feeling her pain.

At some point the Death Eaters must have left, at some point Ron must have released her and she must have forced open the door. Because now she stood in an empty tunnel, similar to the one she'd just been trapped in, and let her tears fall freely. Hot, painful, tears of anguish. She merely stood and stared at Karl's body for some time, spread eagled on the floor, his eyes thankfully closed, his skin looked cold.

Her legs could no longer hold her weight, she dropped to her knees and crawled to her boyfriend's body. Hermione never knew her heart could break like this. She reached out a touched him, spurring fresh tears and cries of pain. A hollow space was crawling through her veins. "K…arl." She eventually breathed, and wondered that even now she couldn't find the words to tell him that she'd loved him, maybe. He was so gentle, faithful and honest, even in death, even at the bottom of some God forsaken tube station in the cold and the damp, he'd been trying to find her. He'd been coming to be with her- because he loved her. Another little piece of her heart crumbled away, she was in complete turmoil, her hands digging into his flesh, wishing he could feel how close she was. "I want it back." She turned angrily on Luna, "I did it wrong, I want my day back."

Luna shook her head helplessly, silent tears streaking her cheeks too.

"You might still have it, check now. Do you still have it?"

Luna checked, even though she knew it was useless. The Time Turner was gone, there was no other.

"I want it back!" Hermione cried desperately, "It wasn't meant to happen like this. Turn it back, please, turn it back."

Ron buried his face in both his hands, he dug his fingers into his cheeks, looking like he wanted to tear his skin from his face. He'd have traded places with Karl, to stop the sound that was breaking his heart.

"I want the other day." Her voice was hard as eyes through the rivers that blurred her world, the only thing the was real was Karl's dirtied skin under her fingers, "I chose the other day, take this one away."

"It doesn't work like that Mione...please..." Luna tried to explain, knowing the words were killing Ron but seeing no way to stop Hermione saying them- she had every right to feel that way. She had every right to be angry with Luna and Luna knew it, she's pinned it all on her, put all the pressure on Hermione; she knew now she ought to have been braver and taken the day herself, why had she asked so much?

Hermione knew not how long she stayed there. Crying and crying, till she coughed blood, till her voice stopped making sounds, her eyes could barely open, but she couldn't leave. Eventually Ron scooped her broken body from the floor and held her strongly while she cursed and begged, and tried to get back to him. She wanted to curl up on the floor and give up right then. She wanted to trade places with Karl, be lying in the dirt instead, or better still, to just lie with him till something stole her life too. Round and round in her head the thought ran, _did this happen before? Could I have stopped it? Did I cause it?_


	8. The Tears

**Author's Note: **_Sorry for the excessive delay on this chapter, school makes writing kinda difficult but i'm getting there bit by bit. i hope you enjoy this installment :) **PLEASE review :) thankyou xxx**_

"_Back so soon?" Draco looked surprised but she detected a sneer in there somewhere. _

"_I guess." She didn't want to give too much away, he didn't even know she was dreaming._

"_It's about time you came with me, I've got a lot to tell you, and show you. It's important."_

_Hermione was shrewd, her face watched his every expression "Important for who Draco?"_

"_The cause." _

_She accepted this, this she could believe and know he was being honest. "I'm not coming now, I can't."_

_He shrugged, but looked disappointed, "I'm waiting. Hermione," He continued, his expression moving to unreadable, "You're crying."_

_She felt her cheek, it was wet with fresh tears, and yet more were falling, not that she'd noticed till now, she felt oddly disembodied. But she nodded anyway, a fragile, frightened nod._

_Draco turned away, there was something deliberate about it, and easily it allowed the dream to fade. The scene melded, and she was in the trees, watching a figure stood on the edge of the cliff._

_Hermione shivered to see Voldemort so close, she couldn't and shouldn't move. Even so, there was a numbness about her, __**so what if he takes me? I can't get any lower, kill me if he must. Who cares? I don't. **__The thought was at once a shock and not a shock, she couldn't remember why she should be feeling like this, feeling like she hated herself. He paced, he paused, he paced. She could read his frustration like a book; he was still searching. He sat down and began to mutter, a rhythmic chant that drifted towards her, from which she could make out no words but from the relaxed, monotonous movement of his mouth she could tell it was calming, like a mantra. Then she grasped why he and Harry were in this perpetual chase around an unremarkable woods expecting it to be like a treasure hunt and being sorely disappointed- it was more than a physical search, it was mental, and possibly something else, deeper. Only an outsider could have noticed this. With this thought she took a gentle step back, ready to fade away again. _

The cold wall bore into Hermione's back, she felt damp and soggy even though this dark corner had no water in it. The others stirred as they noticed her wake.

"Why did you let me sleep? We're supposed to be trying to find ways to take it back." She snapped angrily, but made no moved to get up.

No one knew how to reply, only Luna took a few tentative steps forward, she was saved from having to answer by Hermione resigning herself to stare into the distance,

"We're still in this tunnel, I hate it. Why did you let me sleep?" She felt delirious,

"You needed rest, you still do." Luna told her, then she sat down beside her but at a safe distance, "I'm sorry. I should never have asked you to go back, it was selfish of me, and I was too scared to do it myself."

Hermione made no reply, she felt betrayed by Luna.

Ron was listening from further up the tunnel, slumped against a wall and beyond the point of caring, he too felt betrayed by Luna. He felt unspeakably guilty that Karl had died because of him. His heart was breaking bit by bit for Hermione- he wanted to make it better but there was no hope of that. Every now and then his silent, semi-suicidal monologue was punctuated by coos or cries from the baby that Ginny cradled against the wall opposite him. He felt numb to the baby situation, knowing that it should be odd, or they should hand it in to the authorities, or its noise should anger him, but he felt so much nothing.

"Karl's body." Hermione's voice punctuated the thick blackness.

Ron stood wearily, unwilling to enter into this discussion, he cleared his throat, "I moved it."

Her head snapped round to meet him, hugging her knees tighter to her chest in an attempt to hide the shaking "What?" She managed to force out the remaining air in her lungs to form the word,

"I erm," He coughed again and took a step closer, "I thought his family deserved to know so I took the body and dump-er- left it where the Muggle Authorities would find him."

_His family…_Hermione couldn't think. She could only shake and feel the tears fall, her hands had no energy to brush them away.

Ron knocked Luna with his leg as he rushed forward on the impulse to hold Hermione again. He ached for her as he crashed to the floor and wrapped his arms tightly around her, he cradled and crooned, the way Ginny was to the baby, and wanted to steal her pain away. He shot a glare at Luna and she got up and stalked away.

Hermione wanted to push away the thing that had 'moved Karl's body', he's made it real, he'd made Karl dead. Even though she knew it wasn't his fault.

"If I could take it back," Ron whispered through gritted teeth, "I'd chose the first version of today. So you didn't have to."

That hurt her too- how could she ever wish he was dead? She couldn't. "I think…oh god," She took a deep breath, "I think it happened then too." She muttered quietly, reluctantly admitting what she'd known for a while. "I heard, I think, the footsteps and saw the flash, in the first version of today too. He always died- it wasn't us, it wasn't you- he just did." It killed her to say it but there was no way she could have kept that burden of knowledge to herself.

_Hermione staggered forward towards the clearing, her head feeling fuzzy from all the crying she'd been doing. She was back in the woods again, but a friendlier part, and now there was no forgetting why she was upset, that information couldn't leave her even for a second. _

Harry sensed her presence even in the dark of the early dusk, with so many forest noises and bizarre shadows, he knew Hermione was near by. "Mione," Her name lingered temptingly on his tongue, he adored the way it sounded. Then he saw her, "Oh god!"

"_Ha-rr-y," Her voice came out, finally__, cracked and tired, and she broke into a desperate run. Harry was running to her too, they met in the middle of the clearing and both stopped abruptly. Hermione gasped at how much it took for her to pull back and stop. _

"You're crying," He whispered softly, stopping himself from reaching out by placing his hands firmly behind his back. "What's happened?" As he watched her face he saw that this wasn't just something she was a little upset about, the seriousness of the situation was carved all round her features, it echoed back and forth across her eyes. He said more quietly, "Hermione, what is it?"

"_I…" She was shaking so badly she lowered herself to the floor, burying her hands into the soft earth to resist the urge to reach out. _

Harry mimicked her movement and sat opposite her, so close, but nowhere near touching. He waited patiently for her to continue, but inside he was on fire with fear- this couldn't be good.

_Hermione explained, slowly, haltingly, about the day where Ron had been attacked by the wolf, then about the time turner- the last time turner- and then about how she'd saved Ron but in the process she'd lost Karl. _

He was lost for words, the only thing semi-appropriate he could come up with was, "I'm sorry Mione…I wish-"

"_I know." She knew everyone was sorry and wanted things to be different, but she knew in her head that he was gone, nothing could change that, not now, not ever. _

_They sat in silence for a long time, taking it in turns to watch each other's faces. Hermione would trace the lines, the stubble, the dirt, the familiar and the unfamiliar finding all the ways in which he had changed, then she'd look away. As she looked down Harry would risk a glance up, he hurt for her- how could he not?- but he watched her eyelids, her lips, her hair line, and tried to find the ways she was the same, the ways she was untouched and unchanged. _

"_Ginny's got a baby." Hermione spoke, seemingly randomly, but it had been following her chain of thoughts replaying the day/two-day's events. _

"P-pardon?" Harry spluttered, "I haven't…that's to say, we haven't, well we- but you know, wait…what? Is she-? Was she-?"

_Hermione almost felt a laugh, somewhere in the not-hurting part of her soul, at Harry's confusion. Of course he was confused, "She wasn't pregnant, relax. It was…" How could she explain this? Then she saw Harry's honest, concerned face and knew she couldn't lie to him about anything so important, "In the rush, it was left behind, but it was left by a dog."_

Harry was struggling to keep up with this information over load, he was so detached, missing so much, and nowhere closer to- but he couldn't think like that, it wouldn't help him on such an isolated mission. "What?"

"_In my dream, I visited somewhere completely random," She paused, and then decided she could leave out the Draco part without lying, "It was a fair ground, I think, and there was this dog and it stopped and looked at me. Then I woke up. Then in the tunnels it was there again, carrying a baby, and then it left it. It __**knew **__me Harry, it chose us."_

Harry shook his head, disbelieving. "I can't…well, I don't understand. But as long as you're all ok, and we can get it to safety. I mean, you couldn't just leave it there, could you?"

"_Very little in this world is left to chance." She reminded him quietly, quoting Mr Olivander from a long, long time ago, maybe another world ago. _

"Very little in _our _world is left to chance." Harry corrected her, looking at her intensely,

_Hermione sighed, feeling confused, "I don't know Harry." She whispered, watching the leaves float across the floor and join onto other piles of mulch. _

"I do." He replied, firmly, quietly, his voice husky. Harry reached up a trembling hand and held it, palm facing towards her, in the air between them. He held his breath for a moment, thinking she'd stay detached forever, never respond- it scared him.

_Slowly Hermione moved her hand, till it was half a centimeter away, her fingers itching to just slip that little bit closer. She closed her eyes, "I can almost feel that." It was true, she could practically feel the warmth from his rough, large, hand flowing into hers. _

Harry closed his eyes too, he could have sat there forever, but he knew it wouldn't last, it never did, they were always going separate ways. "You're my best friend." He told her.

Hermione was stood above the others' sleeping bodies when she woke, shivering with the sensation of just having apparated. It occurred to her then, not for the first time, that she couldn't kid anyone that she couldn't do magic, she was already doing it. Then she dismissed the thought, and reminded herself that she could never consciously use magic again.

Ginny was leant against the wall of the tunnel, her knees bent to provide a protective cradle with her arms where the baby now slept silently. Luna was sprawled on the damp floor, arms at all angles, between the brother and sister, and Ron slept sitting up, wand clutched tightly in his right hand. Hermione studied him with painful realization of adulthood.

"Wake up." Her voice was a shock in the silent, echo-prone, tunnel and everyone stirred instantly.

"Hermione you're-" Ron scrambled to his feet.

"I'm better." She replied curtly, refusing to dwell on the name she couldn't bare. "Let's get out, I don't want to be stuck down here any more."

"Too right." Luna agreed, "I think I can get us out ok."

Hermione nodded brusquely, trying not to blame Luna- it was her idea to come down here in the first place.

They walked in single file, with Ginny and the baby in the middle of the line, down the winding corridors. It seemed to take an age to find the exit and when they finally did Hermione had to mask her surprise at their being in another train station. The sudden burst of noise and colour into her life made her head ache, all she could do was numbly stumble after Luna's back, hoping her feet didn't fall over themselves. The Muggle world was so alive and oblivious, _her _world, it felt strange; she was in Limbo, not belonging to either of the worlds she flitted between, and powerless to change.

After a few hours of walking, subconsciously heading out of central London and into the sprawl of god knows where, Hermione knew they had to get things under control. She steered them numbly in the direction of a small cheap pub, and put what money she had into getting them some food and drink. They looked dodgy, dirty and furtive and one of them, very young, holding a baby. She was oblivious to the Muggle disapproval however. They had one plate of chips between all of them and none of them were eating very much, but they drunk like they hadn't drunk for days- it certainly felt like they hadn't.

"Is there a magical fair ground?"

"Pardon?" Luna looked up,

"Or a carnival? It looked like a fair, in my dream. But it was definitely all wizards and witches."

"Sure, the on Knight's Ground." Ron leaned across the table and exchanged a nod with Luna, "You probably went there as a child too right?"

"While mom was around yeah."

"It started in celebration of the end of the era of fighting between the Knights of two realms, they started a Fair for the subjects that had paid so dearly for their fighting and the Magi were charged with protecting it. Or something." Ron shrugged, "It was brilliant as a child."

Hermione nodded and drifted into thought.

Ron, however, wasn't satisfied with Hermione being so closed off. "You went there in your dream?"

"Hmm, I think so." She sighed, playing with her fork, "How far is it?"

"Just an apparition away." Ron pointed out fairly. Both girls glared at him,

"You know what Harry said," Ginny warned.

"I know." He replied gruffly, "It's not up to Harry though is it?"

"No. It's up to me." Hermione's eyes begged him, "Please, no magic. How long will it take otherwise?"

"Three hours on a train, maybe more, on foot…" He waved a hand into space, indicating that 'forever' might be an appropriate estimate.

"Ok just…" She massaged her temples, waiting hopefully for the solution to pop up, obviously it didn't. "I need to go there, I'm sure of it."

"You're trusting your dreams?" Ginny looked at her worriedly, trying to put herself in Hermione's shoes and fathom whether she would trust the dreams- knowing instantly that she couldn't even begin to put herself in Hermione's shoes.

"They're the only thing I can trust." She took another deep breath, trying not to look at anyone's face. "The dog that left that baby, was in my dream at the Fair. It saw me there and gave me that baby for a reason, whether it was to pull me back there- I don't know- but I know that the fair is the next stage in the plan. The master plan; whatever that is. Maybe Dean knows…"

"What?" Ginny interjected sharply,

"Dean. I saw him hanging around by the fair in my dream, think he was watching someone. Why? Oh-" She realized the answer to her own question, "You told him to lie low."

"Yes I did." Ginny replied through gritted teeth. "God damn it, he can't even take one simple instruction, we _agreed _on-"

"Ginny drop it." Ron cut through her rant, "You can tell him that once we get there, that's always assuming it isn't a trap."

"I haven't ruled it out." Hermione admitted, "we'll never know till we go."

They finished their almost-meal and left in quickly, slipping out into the now dark world. It wasn't hard to find a place quiet enough that they could apparate from. _Apparate, get your head round that Hermione, you going to have to get over it. _The others could apparate alone but she would go side-along with Ron, so as not to perform the magic herself, but she was still trembling with fear as they prepared themselves. Ron forced her hand into his and held it firmly so she couldn't run, she was petrified, wondering if she would die of fright before she found out what would happen if she got that close to magic again. The dream apparition, the subconscious magic, was nothing, not like choosing to take back that power- why would she ever choose that for herself again? Ron's grip tightened again, he didn't dare ask her if she was ready, or if she wanted to talk, he just stepped forward and dragged her with him into oblivion.

Hermione was sure she'd never experienced a rush quite like this it was surging through her body, an uncomfortable lack of breath, her bones were aching with the fullness of power and she felt like letting go and free falling. There was a tug on her heart and she tried to look round even though she knew she wouldn't be able to, but something strong, sickly sweet in her veins, was pulling her another way. She understood what the others simply didn't; that the void between the two destinations was just that, a void, an open plane, not a tunnel from A to B, but a place from where you could jump into any part of the world. A pulse of darkness yearned towards her, and she began to tug on Ron's hand, wanting to take him with her into the distance of the void, find somewhere more exciting that their destination.


	9. SoulConnection

**Author's Note: ** _Oh god this has taken ages to write, a thousand apologies! Much love, enjoy, thank you for all the kind reviews- please keep reviewing. (for those of you that may be expressing huge 'NOOs' at the thought of this becoming Dramione...don't panic, it's not a Dramione fic!) _

Her feet hit the floor, sending a cold rush up through her bones and Hermione gulped in fresh air for reassurance. "Never again." She told Ron through gritted teeth, as she wriggled her hand free of his constricting grip.

"Did you feel the pull?" He muttered, too low for Ginny or Luna to pick up on it.

Hermione toyed with the truth. "A little." She waved a would-be casual hand, "But I don't think it was a big deal," And, feeling this wasn't enough, she backed it up with, "I can usually sense strong magic."

Ron let it drop easily and they reformed as a group. Hermione looked round for the first time: they were in a forest, dark but lacking in life, barely any shrubs and no animals in sight, just rows and rows of trees that looked like they'd been planted deliberately as if by the Forestry Commission or something similar.

"I can see light that way." Luna indicated to their right and Hermione gave her a nod, the all clear to take the lead. Luna hesitated but only for a second.

They stalked through the forest, Ginny with a protective arm around the baby, in a single, silent line again. It was a habit they had made, due to safety and partly due to awkwardness, the inability to be normal and bridge the gap that had formed since Hermione had previously known them. None of them could broach the subject of Karl and so it left a stale hole in their friendship, smouldering quietly away in the back of their minds; the first casualty.

"There." Hermione spotted the Fair Ground through the trees, the first sprinkling of lights visible, little disjointed snatches of noise, sounding eerie so detached from their sources. Echoes of happiness, bizarre to the confused travellers, bounced towards them aimlessly, the shapes of familiar yet out of place constructions, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, red and white awning, became less blurred and more real. The colours were brighter than any Hermione had witnessed in the Muggle world. She staggered a little, feeling almost drunk; Ron caught her arm and she let him hold it, keeping her body close to his for comfort.

There was a rustle in the trees to their right and they bunched tightly suddenly, Luna taking the back and pushing Ginny, with the baby, into the centre.

"Dean?" Ginny half-called out in hope, but with no reply.

The rustle became a crunch of footsteps and the others drew their wands, Hermione's eyes darted around searching out the source of her fear. The footsteps were even and slow, she imagined someone stalking with their wand out in front of them, ready for the attack.

"Hey." Draco emerged from nowhere. He'd been so well concealed in the forest he was upon them before they knew what had happened. Ron raised his wand threateningly and took half a step in front of Hermione, his left hand still holding her wrist. Hermione watched his face and knew she needed to calm him down, gently she lifted her palm to meet his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Draco," She was braced, ready to duck in case of an attack, "What was the last thing I said to you before I went to the Ministry?" Her eyes were ever steady on his wand, gripped tightly in his rough hands

"You've made a wrong decision Draco Malfoy, you'll regret it."

Hermione nodded curtly, feeling herself blush, remembering the emotion and knowing that Ron was just inches away from her,

"And the last thing I said to you?" He challenged,

"You wouldn't."

He nodded and they gave no other explanation to their comrades, but no one lowered their wands or became any less tense. "You shouldn't go in there all together."

"Why not?" Ron growled

"Variety of reasons." Draco was always haughty, he took his time, "One is you're dead conspicuous together-"

"Loads of people come here for information Malfoy, we've got the same right as anyone else."

"It's crawling with Death Eaters."

"You're one of them." Ron returned,

"Well noticed Weasley…" He leered, "Look, you have a vulnerable baby for one thing, for another you all look wrecked- like you've been on the run- they'll pick you up right away. And you're known Weasley, they'll spot you and the little sis easily, Lovegood's a bit less obvious, but even Mr Thomas has had to start lying low, Death Eaters ran him into the ground about a week ago, but he's still coming back."

"And you? What part do you play in this Malfoy?" Ron took another warning step,

"I don't expect you to believe I play fair, I'm here for the Death Eaters, we both know that." Ron acknowledged with a nod, "I don't turn Dean in, I keep my mouth shut about a lot of the people I see here, but I have to choose some information to pass on or I'd be dead. I'm here for her." He nodded at Hermione, "There's stuff we need to talk about, and I have something to show you Granger."

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded, "Wands down everyone, we're safe here." Reluctantly, wands began to drop, all of them clearly twitching to raise once more. "Fine, that'll do for now."

"Coming?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

Hermione turned to the others, she knew she had to go into the Fair, "I can't risk not getting this information guys, Draco won't hurt me."

"You can't be sure." Ginny muttered,

"I can. Look, you all trust me don't you?" They nodded, though hesitantly, knowing what real trust meant in this situation. "Then I'll be back soon, wait here."

Ron pulled Hermione into a hug and she held onto him for a long time, hiding in his chest, "Be careful, I don't trust him." He whispered

"I'm not asking you to," She looked up at his face and slowly dragged herself away, knowing, or rather hoping, that they'd lie low.

She followed Draco, staying alert to every noise around her, and eventually they reached the edge of the clearing, Hermione found it hard to focus on any one thing in the melee that bulged before her.

"So what's going on here?" She caught up to him, finding the courage to speak, "I mean, the country is at war and everyone's just, having fun?"

"Wouldn't you?" They stopped on the edge of the fair and surveyed it, "Sure the place is riddled with Death Eaters, but as long as you're not actually on the wanted list you're ok here, although plenty of people here are sneaking around liaising and swapping information, just avoiding the Death Eaters. Primarily it's an information relaying spot, and it's a place where some of your guys could feasibly bribe Death Eaters without too much trouble. And vice versa- don't look so shocked. But it's also a place where families come, to forget about the war, imagine growing up in a war time, you'd just want to forget sometimes wouldn't you?"

She nodded, surprised by his insightfulness. Draco was a man now, she noticed. "Ok, so are you showing or telling first?"

"Come with me." He beckoned her into the Fair and, unwillingly, she followed, spellbound by the beauty without meaning to be. Hermione stuck close to Draco's broad shoulders as they weaved through the crowd, smells, sounds and interesting objects flitted past her on all sides, every time there was a space, a dark gap, she shivered, knowing what must lurk in the shadows.

"This stand is cool." Draco stopped abruptly and Hermione nearly smacked into him. She peered over to the stand and saw it was full of charms and odd bundles of branches and flowers, and things that glowed and hovered and she wasn't sure what any of them were. "Those jars at the back," He indicated some tiny yet ornate glass jars with cork stoppers, "they're whispers in bottles." He walked on suddenly and Hermione followed once more, puppy-like.

Draco lead her past a stall under a circular awning, it was like hooking ducks, but wizard style, you had to levitate the ducks through a series of hoops to win the wizard equivalent of gold-fish bowls. They were the bowls with the branches which housed, Hermione now realised, fairies, a whole cluster in each bowl.

"There's frozen fireworks over there. Fire works paused at explosion moment, they're beautiful, I want to get you one."

"Draco, why are we here?"

"I just told you."

Hermione sighed and looked searchingly at him, begging the truth to fall from his mouth, "This is a disaster Draco, not a treat."

Draco shook his head, "I know," He scanned the floor intently for a moment, "We're getting there, I just- I don't know- you've been through so much recently, word travels fast around here and," Hermione gasped in pain and he paused, deliberating how to go on, "I just wanted to give you some happiness, before I asked you to do what I'm about to."

Hermione gathered her strength, she placed a hand on his arm, "When this is over, you can bring me back here." She half smiled, "And buy me whatever you like."

Draco nodded, a gentle smile forming for half a second. "And now comes the tough part. This way,"

He started walking again, leading Hermione to other side of the fair. He walked right up to a black tent and hooked the curtain shrouding the entrance to one side, keeping his wand ready. Hermione drew in behind him, wishing for half a second that she had her wand too.

"You can leave now." Draco's voice was deep and commanding as Hermione heard it project into the tent. A tall, blonde haired woman swept from the tent with a resentful glare at Draco, he sneered back, and then turned to Hermione and by way of explanation said "She owed me."

They slipped inside the tent. It was rectangular, lit by candles in each corner, casting more shadow over the centre than they did light; in the centre there was one chair and a table with what could have been a crystal ball on it, only the ball didn't look solid, it looked alive, and Hermione hated the sight of it. It forced her to look away, she knew it had to be powerful magic. Draco performed a charm on the door,

"We won't be disturbed."

Hermione nodded, overwhelmed. "Time for some explanation Draco."

"We've got to stop Voldemort's control over you. We need to break the link. The dreams, the pull on you apparating, your tendency to be drawn to dark magic, your lack of control over your own magic- I think if we break it, then Harry has a chance to get to Voldemort and destroy him. At the moment the prophecy stands in the way, the power the Dark Lord has over you is only going to get stronger and the second something goes down, you'll be drawn to his side and kill Harry before he even gets the chance to fight."

"Well that was blunt, how have you been? Up to much lately?"

"Sorry Hermione but you were right just now, we've got no time to waste. I know you've been coming to me in your dreams, I reckon you've been going to other people too."

Hermione studied her feet, "I can't control it, I thought I could."

"Voldemort?"

"He's always pulling me away and I think by letting myself dream again I… I've made the link stronger."

"I don't think this is your fault, at least, you've made the decisions anyone would have." Draco looked up and took a step towards her, "But it has to stop Hermione. I think, _think, _the connection is a soul-connection."

"A-?"

"A powerful link between the darkness in both your souls. Most people have dark and light in them, right?"

"With you so far."

"So people that have real darkness, so evil, in their souls, it's stored somewhere- Cavern of Souls."

"Original." Their eyes met and Draco half-laughed.

"I know. So the evil part lives in the Cavern of Souls, it's trapped there forever. We're going in to get your soul back."

"Into the Cavern of Souls?"

"Yeah, this is a gateway, sort of- well- it is now."

Hermione gulped, took a breath, then swallowed again. Her mind felt like it was drifting, her body felt distant. "I'm not ready, I can't go back to magic Draco, do you know what you're asking me to do?"

"Yes." He replied evenly. "And I'm sorry," He took another two paces and wrapped his left arm around her pulling her the final few centimetres into his chest, then kissed her forehead softly. "I really am," he whispered.

"Sorry isn't good enough- this is too much." Hermione replied, she tried to pull away but he held her firm.

"Oh I know," His grip suddenly became strong, his wand arm made a circular motion, "I'm sorry for this." Cords, thicker than rope but more flexible sprung from the end of his wand, flailing in the air, looking almost pretty, for a moment, and then snaking down around Hermione's body. Draco took a hasty step back from his own restraints.

"What are you doing?" Hermione yelled, trying to wriggle free as the bonds settled themselves around her.

Draco looked pained, "Please don't struggle, I'm not trying to hurt you."

"I knew I couldn't trust you!"

"Hermione, calm down,"

"I will not calm down. Help! Hel-"

Draco placed a hand over her mouth and forced her towards the chair, shoving her down into it, "Shh," He begged, as Hermione struggled some more, trying to free her mouth and her arms at once, "Look." He awkwardly shook up his sleeve on his left arm, revealing the coal black Dark Mark, looking more intense than she remembered it. "I've been called, I've got minutes-less- to get there. I can't risk you being pulled towards us again, just please, please, for me, don't go to sleep." And with a crack he was gone.

"Like ropes are gonna stop me," She whispered glumly to herself, and the space that had been Malfoy minutes ago. "My magic's too strong for that, it's too strong for me, it was even too strong for Dumbledore once." The ropes dug into her arms just enough to annoy her, not enough to hurt, but maybe enough to keep her awake- if she was lucky.

It didn't take long for Hermione's eyelids to droop; how long was it since she'd slept properly? Her limbs, though bound, ached with the days on the move, all her organs felt slower and heavier, it would be amazing to just, for a minute, float…

"No way Hermione." She told herself sternly, "over my very own dead body." She looked at the candle light, to try and keep her eyes open, but that just had a more soporific effect. Then a thought came to her, "Way down in New York town, thinking about the way he loved me," Hermione's voice was quiet, crackling as she sang, "there's a hole in my pocket, that's about his size, but I think everything's gonna be alright, yes I hope everything is gonna be alright." She smiled editing the 'her' and 'she' in her favourite song to be a 'he' or a 'him', and picturing her favourite face- the one she was staying awake for. "The smiling face, straight in LA. The gifts are found at the bar. But I wish my car could drive to him tonight, then I'd know everything is gonna be alright. Yes then I'd know it'll be alright." Deep breath, and her eyes felt more open, she imagined if someone could see them now, they'd be sparkling. "The rain in New Orleans, forgot to end, but the mouths of the people are dry…and we watch and wait and do nothing but sigh and hope everything, is gonna turn alright. But I don't know if it'll be alright. But I look at you, warm in your dream while your mobile dances above. And I think to myself, it's a beautiful night and I know everything is gonna be alright. Yes now I know, it'll be alright."

As she finished the song and took a breath, there was a crack. She jumped, and found her ropes had vanished. Hermione wobbled and nearly fell from her chair.

"It's ok it's only me." Draco had reappeared, "Just a quick one, to find out who had betrayed some of our information."

"Who was it?"

"They're dead."

Hermione knew he wouldn't talk about it, she changed the subject instead. "Those ropes hurt."

"Sorry, you know why though, right?"

"I understand, yes." She frowned, "So how do we do this?"

"You know you don't have to."

"Oh now you play the empathy card- I really don't have a choice Draco, I've never had a choice." Hermione nodded firmly.

"Take my hand."

"Is that necessary or just something you want me to do?" The question paused, hovered in the air between them.

"It helps," Draco smiled ruefully, "But don't rule out the second option."

They joined hands and Draco reached his other hand forward towards the swirling, near-living, crystal ball; he raised his eyes brows for Hermione to do the same. She closed her eyes tight and began to squeeze his hand unconsciously, scared of the object and its power, she groped forwards with her hand wondering whether she'd know when she touched it.

She knew. She felt suddenly, briefly, empowered; alive, alight, in touch, completely painless, physically and emotionally. Then she felt violently car sick, her insides felt like they were swirling in her skin.


	10. Evil Ones

**Author's Note: **_Hope you all enjoy, probably the last instalment before Xmas :) so have a great holiday season whatever you celebrate! Hope you like it, i love all your review, keep them coming :) :) _

_xxx_

When she'd finished being sick Hermione stood back up and walked unsteadily towards Draco. They were on a hill side, rugged boulders strewn all around with grass growing up between them and rock plants clambering over them; it looked like somewhere Hermione would have once come with her parents. She didn't look behind her, down the hill, but dead ahead she could see the cave entrance, lightless and ominous.

"I can sense strong magic, that place is throbbing with it, it's flying out in huge pulses. Are you sure we know what we're doing?" Hermione pointed, drawing to his side.

"I honestly have no idea what we might unleash when we get your soul back, but I think it's worth the risk."

"I don't mean to sound panicky, but how much do you know about this Soul Magic stuff? What happens if we find Voldemort's evil part down there, or it's somehow connected to m-my evil part?" She still struggled to find herself evil "How do we even find it? And once we free my part and reunite it with my other parts, how do you know it won't turn me evil?"

"Big questions." Draco drew a long steady breath "I don't know a whole lot, snippets of what I've gleaned and over heard, that's all. I think how to find Evil You will become obvious, and once we've found it and it's back with you, there'll be some kind of struggle- that's the best I can make out- a fight, and good you has to win. If you and Voldemort are connected down there then we're into some major league magic, and I'm pretty terrified, but it's the same deal ultimately, we fight and we win. I personally think that the evil in Voldemort is living in his physical form right now, I reckon he lost the struggle years ago- I mean, how much more evil can he get? And if there is more Evil Him down there, I suggest we leave it the hell alone." Draco looked at her, "I know I'm basing a lot on assumption, but it's the best I've got, and one thing I do know for certain."

"What's that?"

He looked grim, "You're strong, you will win the struggle with Evil You. But if, by some horrible chance, you don't, and you turn evil…I'm not proud or chivalrous or brave Hermione, I _know _what has to be done. I can't let you get back to the surface with that power; I will kill you."

"I understand." Hermione gulped, wondering how to trust the man that could kill her so easily, "Don't hesitate." She stepped towards the yearning blackness.

Draco caught her arm, "One last thing." She turned round to face him, waiting, "You might want to take a Token down with you, something of this world."

"A what? And why?"

"A solid item, something from this world, you can just pick up a pebble if you like. It's to remind you who you are and where you come from, and it can't be a wand. It just can get pretty dark and intense down there, it's worth remembering your way back."

"I wasn't scared till now," Hermione whispered

"Pebble?"

"No." She fished around in her pockets for a moment, pressing her fingers right down to the corners, and eventually found what she was looking for. "Lucky coin." She held it up to show him with a smile, the 20 pence piece, a little worn after so many excursions in and out of the gym locker. It was the perfect thing to remind her where she'd come from, why she'd come and what it had cost her. _Karl's memory, the memory of the good me, that'll keep me grounded. _

Time seemed to be sucked out of relevance as they stepped through the cave opening, along with light, happiness, and reality. Instantly Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and held it tightly. Something dark moved in front of her, a cloak of thick blackness, it swirled around her, whipped across her face; Hermione coughed, struggled, as it passed through her,

"What was that? Draco! What is it?"

"Don't panic." He replied through gritted teeth. He was clearly going through a similarly unpleasant experience.

Her breath was tight, the blackness smothered her eyes, forced them shut, she could feel its heavy presence on her chest and down her back. "Can you see?" She could no longer see him, couldn't move at all to see her hand that she knew was still attached to Draco.

"Nothing." He returned.

The heavy dark cloak that lay upon her began to move. At first Hermione thought she imagined it, then she was sure. It wriggled, writhed, contracted around her body. She could feel it in her lungs, weighing down on her stomach, crushing her organs. The blackness was going to stop her blood, she could feel it seeping through her skin, her limbs were limp and useless vessels. Hermione had no strength to struggle. She began to whimper.

"No, please no, I don't…I don't- please…I"

"Hermione-" Draco's voice crackled through the oppression of the blackness, it was dim, distant, "Don't give in to it. It'll be over soon. Don't let it take you."

It wasn't that easy. The darkness weighed too much, it made her body weak, her breathing became shallower with every inward take, there was so much black all around her, how would she ever see the light again? How would she move one foot in front of the other? A great drowsiness wound itself around her with the python-like blackness, making her body yearn to fall forward and let the smothering arms take it. She found her muscles in her right hand, drawing in a rattling breath half-heartedly. She clenched her fist. The sharp edges of the 20 pence piece dug into her soft palms. It was small, hexagonal, special, cold, weighty- it was home. And suddenly she could smell the changing rooms, feel the sweat of the gym, taste the after-tang of metallic water hitting her parched mouth. And then she could see something all together separate: a pair of wide green eyes glared angrily at her, cross with her for giving up.

And it was that easy. "Get-" She gritted her teeth and forced out words, her voice becoming louder, "Off me. Let me go!" She shrieked the last word, feeling a release of tension, and depression, and power. A rush of air swept from her and by her, there was a momentary feeling like flying and falling, the blackness was forced away. It fled. All her muscles relaxed and they were free again. "Draco?" Her eyes drifted downward and found she could see the pale hand still held in her own.

"Good work." He nodded shakily, testing the movement of bits of his body and finding himself too unharmed by the experience.

"When you said you didn't know what was down here…"

"I wasn't kidding." He assured her.

They stopped and looked around, then it dawned on Hermione that they were very deep in.

"Was the door that way?" She nodded behind them, then came across another realization, "There isn't a door is there? We just have to wait till it shows us the way out." Draco didn't reply and she knew she was right. Hermione looked around some more, but not for the exit this time, for a sign; for something that wasn't a vacant black space. "Dray…look."

Draco turned his head to where she was staring. Hermione was as pale as if she'd left her blood back at the cave entrance. Bellatrix Lestrange loomed at them from the dark, she was moving slowly, oddly disembodied, looking madly into the distance.

"W- was this a trick Draco? There are more, look- he's a Death Eater." Hermione's voice rose once more in panic. Her other hand now gripped Draco's arm too as she shamelessly pressed herself behind his reassuring form.

"They're not real Hermione. They're the evil part, remember?"

Hermione shook no less at this thought "Can they hurt us? Being evil and all."

"No, I'm guessing not."

Everywhere she looked more figures swirled in the darkness. Faces she recognized from Wanted Posters the last time she'd been in this world, faces she didn't. Everywhere she was scanning for the brown eyes that matched her own; how would she look? Would she appear evil? Or would it merely be the mirror image of herself now? All the while she gripped tightly to Draco and he gripped tightly to his wand. Every now and then he'd flinch, seeing someone he recognized, and then would shake his head and relax again- if only slightly.

"Draco that's…" Hermione faltered, took half a step forward just to double check, but she knew she'd seen right. Draco followed her gaze.

"Dean." He muttered, then shrugged.

"Dean is evil?"

"Don't be so quick to judge," Draco warned, as Dean's glaring face slipped once more into the darkness; they kept walking forward. "Part of him is- so what?- I bet there are loads of people we know down here. Most people, I think, have some-" He stopped short and shrugged again. "Let's stay focused, come on, deeper."

Hermione nodded, still transfixed, dream-like, to the spot where Dean had lingered. She had to remind herself thought, _it isn't him, you can't portion out blame here, there just isn't any. _They drifted together for many more steps, peering through the crowds, Hermione was vaguely aware that they were heading along a downwards slope as they went, but how far down was any body's guess.

"Dumbledore."

Hermione spun round. "What?"

"Dumbledore." Draco repeated, apparently dumbfounded.

Hermione quietly drew in front of him, heading for the somehow terrifying hologram of the man that had had the power to stop her getting hers. The only person to contain her power at its peak. She felt Draco lay a hand on the small of her back, warning her not to go closer.

"I can't believe _he _has evil." He confessed.

Hermione was unsurprised, she could feel the power of his evil from where she stood; it made sense. "Don't be so quick to judge." She almost smiled. "I'm not so shocked."

"I suppose I shouldn't be but…"

"There's some in most people, remember." _Especially someone so powerful. _She thought. It made her feel a little more comfortable with the fact that she was down here, somewhere.

Hours passed, maybe, but time was irrelevant, a blur of faces streamed past, but not the one they sought.

"Wait," Draco tugged on her hand to stop, "We're coming to a dead end."

"What? We can't be. How can you tell?"

"It was a feeling I had, then my voice echoed back. Listen, you can hear it."

Hermione stretched out her hand ahead of her and took a hesitant step. Sure enough she felt the slimy damp of the cave wall. "That's it then?"

"It…I didn't think there'd be an 'it' down here. Did you?"

"I don't know." She muttered carefully, "But what does that mean? We go back through, look again? Or we do a spell?"

"No…" She could hear a frown in Draco's voice, "That's just it. There isn't anything else, you _aren't _in here. There's no point going back, I don't even know if we can."

Hermione heard his voice echo around her head, "I- I'm not down here?"

"No,"

"So…"

"I don't know." They paused in the pitch black, lost, cold and confused. Draco moved and took Hermione's other hand, so he held them both, facing her although she couldn't see his face properly. "I feel like I've failed you, I've brought you down here for nothing and now I don't know what to do."

She squeezed his hands in sympathy, "Draco, you haven't failed me." She glanced over his shoulder, "You really…"

"What?" He twitched, like he didn't want to look behind him, fearful.

"Really haven't failed me." She finished in a half voice, dropping his hands and walking towards the spot over his shoulder. When she spoke again, he knew it wasn't to him, "Oh Harry…I'm sorry. I should have known, shouldn't I?" She turned back around to address Draco as he too spotted Evil Harry. "We can't just leave him here, we didn't come here for nothing after all."

Draco gulped, watching Harry. He anticipated one hell of a struggle. "This wasn't what we came down for Hermione…"

"Draco! How can you even think-?"

"Hey, I didn't say we won't take him out, I'm just saying…this isn't necessarily what Harry would want."

Reluctantly Hermione turned away from Evil Harry, hoping he wouldn't leave their sight. "What do you mean Draco?" She sighed, somewhat exasperated.

"You might be willing to take that struggle of getting your evil part back- what if Harry isn't? And, um, what if he doesn't win?"

Hermione shook her head, "Harry would be, believe me, and he _will _win. There's no way he'd lose, he's too strong."

"Ok I believe you," Draco sighed and looked around, maybe this was the reason they came down here, all he knew was that magic works in mysterious ways, and very little in this world is left to chance. "What happens to Harry, might not be pretty, ok?"

She nodded, absolutely certain about what she wanted.

"Just so you're warned, and you know that you're taking responsibility. On your head then."

He walked towards Evil Harry and raised his wand, Hermione flinched a little, not sure she could watch Harry, any part of Harry, in pain, if that was what Draco was about to do. She heard him mutter an incantation. There was a bright light, white and painful, engulfing the whole room in its presence- Hermione closed her eyes. She groped desperately in the light for Draco's hand, searching for the same reassurance again. Everything was rushing, it felt like wind in her ears, on her face, through her bones. It sucked the breath and the energy from her, she could have been running a hundred miles and had more energy, her joints burnt with the rushing, her muscles shook. Draco's fingers finally connected to hers and the burning increased, the harder they gripped to each other the more it burnt, a sharp direct burning straight up her arm, through her chest, across the front of her brain and all the way down her body. Still they gripped tighter, _hold onto the thing that makes sense, _Hermione thought, gripping her coin in the other hand so hard it felt as though the edges were drawing blood, but there was no way she could let go. One last drive of pain burnt through her tensing her whole body till she cried out to gain some release. Judging by Draco's similarly agonizing cry he was going through the same experience.

Finally the normal air was returned to Hermione's lungs; she gasped, slowly finding the lung capacity to whimper her relief. Her body shook yet more violently, not knowing what to do with itself after such intensity.

"Dray?" She whispered. Hermione realized she was standing and staggered, straight into Draco. He attempted to catch her but she could feel his arms trembling as they took her, equally lost outside of the white-light sensation. They both fell to the floor, which caught them and rewarded them with bruises everywhere it touched. Hermione breathed heavily for some minutes, pulling herself into Draco's chest, kinder than the floor but more stable than her own fragile body; she felt one of Draco's hands clumsily trying to stroke her hair.

"Let's just rest a minute." He pleaded, and took her silence as a positive response.

"Where's Evil Harry?"

"Gone." Draco gulped, finding words harder to form than he'd remembered before the cave. "Gone to find good Harry I expect. Gone to make him pay for what we've released."

Hermione nodded, not wanting to react to anything for a little while. Just wanting to exist normally and attempt to rehabilitate her body.


	11. Misery

**Author's Note: **_Yeah i know I'm a bad person :( I neglected you (for exams and illness) but please forgive me...i give you a chapter and lots of love :)_

Lying in the gravel was comfier than you'd imagine after the strange ordeal of the underworld, it gave a sense of humanity. It was some minutes, or maybe longer, before Hermione could face letting go of her coin and know that she'd still know who she was. Draco was still lying very close, but they'd let go of each other at last.

"How did you know the spell?" Hermione asked hoarsely, still waiting for her throat to recover. "The spell that set Evil Harry free, how did you know?"

"I don't know," He confessed, "It just sort of came to me. I think the cave kind of told me, you know?"

"Unfortunately I do know, I've hardly ever properly learnt a spell, they just come to me."

Draco took a deep breath, "You probably ought to know the Dark Lord's plans, that's also why we came- to talk."

"You'd tell me them, risk your life, just like that?" She leant up on her elbow to watch his face,

"Easily, you knew that Hermione." Draco cleared his throat. "Took me a while to figure that out I guess," He waited, watching for her reaction,

Hermione sighed and looked away, he was talking about his abandonment, last time she'd been in this world. "Let's not." She warned.

"Ok, so the Dark Lord," He seemed relieved to move on, "He's searching for the Fire Stick."

"So is Harry."

"Oh great…" Draco frowned, "It's all so tenuous. Harry and the Dark Lord, they must be looking in the same place, they're going to run into each other and we just let Evil Harry out. The thing is I'm not sure either of them have it right. They're so similar in so many ways; they're both trying to make it a physical quest, but I've read some things I shouldn't have and I don't think it's about that. In the Dark Lord's mansion there were books, journals, accounts of failed searches and one guy said 'you could sit perfectly still for three years and stand a better chance of being granted the Fire Stick'."

"Emotional quest, not physical, I get that." Hermione contemplated, "What's Hogwarts got to do with all this? Death Eaters are in but they're not doing anything. And Godric's Hollow?"

"Godric's Hollow?" Malfoy shook his head, "Nothing to do with it, it's a ploy. Hogwarts is where it's at. There'll be no army at the end Hermione, just Voldemort and Harry and a few loyal on each side, there'll be one last fight and the one with the Fire Stick, and therefore the heart of magic, will have the root of Hogwarts' power in his wand hand, easy win."

"Easy win." Hermione shook her head, trying to clear the sickening image of Harry falling to the floor. It was painfully real, his wand snapping and drooping, useless, his body buckling, his eyes dimming. "No way. You don't know Harry."

"No I don't, not very well. I know he's The Chosen One, and, well, that's about it." Draco admitted, "Aren't you scared of him Hermione?"

"Why?"

"Scared of what Evil Harry will do."

"No. He's been scared of me once before, when he first realised what I was capable of, and I hated it, it was torture. But when it came to it, when I really could have hurt him, when I had the world at my feet- he was there and he wasn't afraid." She realised suddenly she had tears in her eyes and blinked them back crossly, "So no, I'm not scared."

Draco looked at her intensely. He reached a hand and lifted her chin, ever so slightly, watching the rays of light bounce off her freckle-y face. He leaned towards her, came within a fraction of kissing her lips, when Hermione tilted her head away a little.

"You left me Draco, you can't take that back. And what could have been is such a long, long time ago…" She sighed.

Draco sat up abruptly, "I thought about you all the time Mione, I missed you. And I'm sorry, if I could take it back- look, I'm here now, doesn't that count for anything?"

Hermione knelt up too, watching the hurt flashing all over his face, she placed her hand on his cheek, it was warm and rough from stubble, "Yes." She told him honestly. She dropped a tiny, warm, gentle kiss on his lips. It lasted less than half a second but Draco's eyes closed fully, long after Hermione's were open and watching him, and she saw him drink in the moment. "But just that, nothing else I'm afraid."

They were silent together for some minutes. Eventually Hermione broke it,

"So that's it, that's the Dark Lord's plan?"

"Not exactly." Draco hesitated, he traced a finger through the dirt in his shadow and wouldn't meet her eye. "He said you were part of it…"

"I'm always bloody part of it." Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered, "I can't escape."

"No it's different. He's going to use you to trap Harry into losing, Harry's either going to give up the battle for you, or you'll distract him, or you'll be part of some trap, the Dark Lord wasn't specific. And …um… Hermione, he said, you're going…you're going to die."

She sat still and let the word wash over her. She couldn't believe it, mortality- it just didn't compute. She had no real reaction, no response that made sense, it was as though her brain had just stopped. "Die?"

"Hermione I-"

"Any more?"

"What?"

She glanced up and saw how dreadful Draco looked, she couldn't fix it though. "Is there anything more I should know about the plan?"

"What have we covered? We know it's all about Hogwarts, the quest is emotional, you're a big part of it- that's basically all I know. I'll give you a list," He dug into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper, folded down as tiny as it could go. "There's one list of all the Dark Lord's stronghold's, one list of small places he's using to recruit- your side could probably attack those- and there's a list of places he's looking to attack in the next few weeks. If you have any sense you'll get them straight to someone on your side and get any decent wizards or witches out of there. That's it, we got what we needed."

"Except the answer to my connection with the Dark Lord." Hermione sighed and they both stood up,

"I'll keep working on it, for now we should head back."

"So I was thinking…" Hermione looked sidelong at Draco as they re-entered the forest "That maybe you'd think about coming with us now? For a bit anyway, we could use your help."

"Is that why? For help?"

"Yes," She smiled, "I'm not ready to say good bye just yet either, but mostly it's about the help. I know you can't exactly leave the Death Eaters-"

"Hey!" Ron's voice cut through their conversation loud and clear. "You're back. What did you find?"

"Ok calm down, I've been back all of thirty seconds Ron." Hermione looked around, Ginny was standing behind Ron trying to communicate something to Hermione through her eyes but Hermione couldn't make it out at all. Luna was sat against a tree with the baby, staring away from them all, and another person had joined their party; it was Dean, lurking some way behind in the shadows, he exchanged a nod with Draco.

"Yeah," Ron snorted, "And you look like you've been enjoying yourself." His gaze looked her up and down.

Hermione blushed, she looked down at herself too. Her tshirt had ridden up on one side, she had bruises visible on her arms, and she knew she would on her neck and face too and she noticed her hair felt a little wild as she put a hand to it. "Draco gave me important information." She began slowly, treading warily,

"Oh so that was it? Sleeping with the enemy for information that was your plan?"

"Plan? Sleeping with? Ron!" Hermione's voice rose shrilly, "It was nothing like that."

Draco stepped in, "not that it's any of your business Weasley."

"Oh yeah? It is my business Malfoy, it's my business if your slimy Death Eater hands are anywhere near her?"

"Just 'cause yours aren't, you're over reacting."

"Draco you're not helping." Hermione was now furious, Ron pushed her to one side.

"What's that supposed to mean Malfoy?"

"She doesn't want you ginger, that's what that means."

They began to square up to each other, forgetting all about wands and magic in a moment of pure testosterone fuelled rage. All Hermione could do was watch, helplessly.

"Death Eater, she knows what you are, you're pure f*cking evil. You think you have a better chance?" Ron muscled forward.

"You think you know her?"

"I know I do."

Hermione turned away and buried her face in her hands, relishing the cool dark and wishing they would all just go away.

"She wants me more than you and you can't stand that- she always has." Draco's voice was at yelling pitch now.

"You're crazy! You will never understand what we have between us."

"Separate." Ginny's cool voice cut between them and there was a rush of air. Hermione spun round to see them very much separated, each of them shocked and angry, with Ginny stood in the middle and her wand out stretched. "Firstly can you stop talking about Hermione like she isn't here." Then she looked directly at Mione and shook her head, she spoke more quietly, "Will you please put them both out of their misery?"

Hermione gulped, because Ginny was right, so right. She nodded. "Look, you're both wrong. I'm sorry but… I don't love either one of you. I don't want a relationship with either one of you, and I'm so sorry if I've made you believe it was anything different. I care about you both a lot."

There was a moment's silence, both men looked at the floor and appeared suitably ashamed. Draco was the first to move, he walked right up to Hermione and laid a hand on her arm,

"I should go. I'll be in touch." He whispered before disappearing seamlessly into the night.

The Fair still roared through Hermione's mind, feeling hours away. "It's time to go." She refused to look at Ron. No body moved. "Come on, get up! Luna, get up, give Ginny the baby now. Ron check around us, make sure that nobody is watching us." They all took action jarringly, slowly, the whole group fraught with mistrust. "Dean are you coming?"

"I'm more use on my own." He replied evenly, taking a step back.

"You're bloody coming with us." Ginny forced her baby-free hand in an iron like grip around his wrist. She glared at him, "I need you- you're one of our best fighters. And don't you _ever _lie to me again."

"I didn't lie, I bent your instructions to suit me." He mumbled.

"Now I have a suggestion," Hermione bit her lip and the group closed ranks around her, "I think I should take you all back to Harry. We found his evil soul and let it loose, and it's my guess he'll need us right now."

"And we'll need to be ready," Dean pointed out,

Hermione looked at him, frowning- he knew more than he'd let on.

"To kill him." He looked at her bluntly, "You weren't going to tell them that were you? We need to kill him if good Harry doesn't win the fight-"

"How do you-?"

Ginny interjected, "I told you we needed Dean, he's more use than he looks."

Hermione nodded reluctantly, "No, I wasn't going to tell them, and yes we do need him. Ok, we're in agreement then?" They nodded and Hermione felt the atmosphere warm, if only by half a degree, at the sense that they would soon be united with Harry.

Hermione closed her eyes, felt a heady, drowsiness wash over her tired brain; it sank and settled in the corners and already she could feel the world around her blur. She pictured the place she'd dreamt of. She focused solely, as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough to block out the void, the empty pit of suction always try to drag her apparition in a different direction. She tottered for a moment in the void, mid-apparition, on the verge of panic and giving in, unbearably close, then finally her feet dropped lightly onto forest floor, a different forest, and even though she felt a distant tug somewhere else, she felt glad that she'd come here. She could sense Harry near by. Her eyes opened,

"Nice job Hermione." Ron patted her on the shoulder and she accepted it as a truce, insignificant in all that was going on, but heart-felt nonetheless.

"We need to split and look for Harry, he's nearby I can-" She faltered, "Erm, I can remember."

The others nodded, Ginny and the baby staying nearby but everyone else wandering in opposite directions through the close knit trees and shrubs. The leaves crackled all about them.

A deep shout broke through Hermione's moment of stillness "Get here!" Ron's voice sounded scared, fear carried clearly through the air.

Hermione ran towards his voice and skidded to an abrupt halt. Harry's tent was stood in the centre of a small clearing, all around it the wood was on fire, small fires now, but spreading fast across the dry leaves; she watched dumbfounded as Luna and Dean sprinted forward to extinguish the inferno surrounding Harry's dwelling. Ron had dropped to the floor beside his best friend- his best friend who barely resembled Harry now. He was writhing and twisting, he screamed intermittently his cries punctuated by grunting and groaning. His body convulsed and contorted, his face was a mangled heap of painful struggle, his right fist was clenched tightly around his wand, refusing to let go of the phoenix core that still linked him to himself. Hermione watched in terror as Ron dragged him by the shoulders into the tent,

"Come on! Let's figure this out." He gestured madly for the other's to follow him.

Ginny looked at Hermione, "Come on." She pleaded, clutching the bundle of rags to her chest.

"I…I …" Hermione faltered, her brain halted, her limbs felt number and heavy. There was a fear unlike any other throbbing through her soul- she wanted out. Harry yelled, "Oh god no!" She collapsed to the ground, staring up at Ginny and Luna, who had stopped extinguishing. "I just can't…" She shook her head desperately.

Ginny frowned and nodded, looking sick with worry. Hermione felt sick. She felt wretched. She knew Luna knew; she hoped Ginny hadn't worked it out. The girls left her and disappeared into the tent.

Once alone on the ground Hermione sobbed, she hugged herself tightly and cried all she could cry, screwing up her face to try and block out the pain of Harry's screams, mingled with the blunt cries of the others trying to help him. Every jolt of his voice, every catch of pain in the animalistic sounds he was making, hurt her at her very core. She wished it would stop. Her fist pounded the earth hopelessly.

Suddenly Hermione remembered what she had with her, the lump on the inside of her jumper, she'd almost completely forgotten. It was the bag she'd been given as she left Hogwarts. All manner of little things were secreted in it: miniature books, photographs, some of Fred and George's jokes, a potions bottle (unlabelled), a phoenix feather and a stub of a candle. Hermione pulled out the candle and examined it closer. It was nothing special, just yellowy wax, melted almost right down, with its wick bent and old, on the side there was a carving in messy handwriting. _Mione, Dumbledore told me this would take me where I needed when I was farthest from it, you'll be too far from me soon…if you ever can, use this to come home. Harry. _

Hermione bit her lip, then shoved the candle back to the bottom of the bag. Things hadn't at all gone to plan, not her plan or Harry's plan, maybe Dumbledore had a bigger plan, but who could ever know that? She pulled out a small piece of white paper, creases ingrained from its extended period being folded. It was something she had added to the bag herself, something from her Muggle life with Karl. It was a drawing done by Lexi and given to Hermione who had had to get Karl to interpret the random squiggles of childlike crayon-ing. Apparently the drawing showed the 'handsome princess' (Lexi had got a little confused during her fairy tale telling) kissing the ugly beast to turn him back to his real, handsome self; looking at it always made Hermione smile.

She stood up, alive again and replaced the bag to its safe storage spot. She strode into the tent. It was pandemonium- crying, yelling, spells, Harry twisting and contorting on the bed, the baby left precariously on a nearby chair. Hermione glided over to them,

"I know how to get Harry back." She turned the idea over in her head, not convinced it was going to work but willing to try anything. Although she was quiet the others listened with surprising immediacy, "Take a step back," Reluctantly they left him. "Ginny this is down to you I'm afraid…it's like a fairytale."

"What?"

"Ginny, it's like a fairytale…you know some fairytale's right? 'with true love's kiss the spell shall break' yes?"

"Yeah but…no way is that going to work." But even Ginny lacked her usual definite tone.

"It's all we've got." Hermione reminded her, "Look at how much pain he's in, if anyone can bring him back it's you, his-" Deep breath "true love."


	12. The Kiss

"Hermione you've lost it."

"Ron, do you have a better plan?" Hermione sighed, "Look at him." She instructed, although she herself barely could "Besides if it doesn't work, we've only lost a minute."

"Fine." Ron nodded and took another step back. "I don't know how many more minutes he has though, it doesn't look like Harry's winning."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, "Go on Ginny."

Hermione had no idea if her theory would work as she watched Ginny approach her boyfriend. She took one of his flailing hands and held it firmly against its will murmuring all the while that she was near and he could feel her if he tried. Harry remained as far gone as ever. She placed a hand on his cheek and bent her head, her red hair falling in a sheet and covering their kiss- Hermione was glad, she didn't know which was harder to watch, Harry in pain or Harry being kissed by Ginny. His body continued to move without aim, painful convulsions and spasms of malicious intent where he struck out. Ginny gripped onto him for a moment, holding him in her gaze with fearful eyes, then she was forced to move out of harm's way.

"Well?" She looked from Harry to Hermione and back, wide-eyed and helpless.

Hermione shook her head in disappointment, "sorry- I really thought-" She cut short, realizing from the hurt in Ginny's eyes exactly what she'd done; she'd crushed some belief inside of Ginny, she knew she'd probably killed their relationship for good, and Harry wasn't even here to defend himself. He may never be again.

Ginny clasped a hand over her mouth and shook her head, her eyes even wider if that were possible, and now brimming with crystal tears. She fled the tent. Luna swept up the baby and followed, Ron and Dean pursued, leaving Hermione alone with Harry.

"Sorry." She muttered again. Harry screamed out, a harsh, high-pitched wail, wobbling and weakening towards the end. His throat sounded hoarse, his fight was fading fast. Hermione looked right into his bloodshot eyes, almost glowing red, dark-rimmed, his glasses discarded in the mess somewhere, framed in a yellow-y grey face. "It's not a fairytale though is it Harry? Look at us- this wasn't what we dreamed of, I dreamed of, this isn't the world you told me about that summer- everything's broken." She strode to him and knelt at his side. Then she did as Ginny had done, snatched his hand and clutched it in both her own, pressing it fiercely to her chest and cradling it. Harry's entire body went rigid for a second, "H-mione?" It was barely a whisper but she'd have known that whisper across the widest ocean.

"Yes! Oh yes! Oh Harry, my Harry, I'm here, I'm right here." Hermione's exhilaration was unreal, her whole body was burning, she thought her heart might smash through her chest at any second and engulf them both in its glory. Hope burst through in the form of unstoppable tears, relief tears, like the rain after the clammy, longest day of the year. She pressed her forehead against his. "Harry I can feel you, I can touch you- you don't know how long I've waited…"

His body was calmer, though still twitching, his breathing laboured and when he spoke it was through gritted teeth, " You're not here- I'm really losing aren't I? Is this really it?"

"No Harry." She pulled away and let her gaze bore into his face, willing him to see her truly there, to believe like she did. "Harry it's me, I've come back."

"I've never hurt so-" He cracked and rolled his head back in agony, his eyes disappearing into his skull briefly. "You're not really there."

_Oh but I am… _She didn't hesitate. Hermione grabbed his head roughly in her hands, buried her fingers in his thick hair and kissed him hard on the lips.

The kiss pulsed between their veins, they were one for a moment in fire, in pain, in passion. Harry's body stiffened, then finally relaxed. All the anger flew out of him in a brilliant second and his arms locked around her for a moment of hot triumph. They broke apart and gasped for air.

Hermione stood very quickly. She looked down at Harry, he was still delirious, his body weak now, the fire of the moment being won and gone. His eyes flickered over her, but unseeing she was sure. She realised what she'd done. She'd known deep down it was the answer… to almost every question she'd ever asked. Tears threatened to overwhelm her again, she was claustrophobic in the tent, claustrophobic in her own body; her skin was too hot, too tight. She dashed from the stupid place and out into the forest.

"Ginny!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, "Ginny! Ron!" She almost stumbled over them, not that far away, they sprung to their feet. "Ginny it-" She looked at the younger girl, the girl she'd always known was Harry's. Hermione had known the lie she'd tell the second she'd figured out the answer. "It worked, the kiss- your kiss- it worked Ginny, he's back, you brought him back to life."

Ginny was a flash of red as she moved, tailed by her clumsier older brother. Dean stalked in more slowly, after Luna, he looked back directly at Hermione who was breathless and bewildered, in exactly the same position she'd delivered her fake news in. He frowned,

"What are you going to do?"

"What?" She whispered,

"I'm extremely perceptive Hermione. You're going somewhere aren't you?"

"Just don't tell them." She gave by way of a reply, and trustingly turned her back on him and began to walk.

She weaved through the forest her feet sloping along till they ached and the soles bruised, eventually they stopped lifting fully off the ground and Hermione had to drag her legs with her. Then eventually she had to admit defeat and sit, she leant back against the rough bark of the tree and let her eyelids slide shut, the burning image on the inside of them serving as a reminder, pale by comparison to the real thing, of what she had just done. She did manage to drift into an easy sleep though, knowing her broken body would take her somewhere else- somewhere easier.

She opened her eyes and she was still in the forest. _Damn it. _But as she looked around she noticed she was sat against a different tree, it was wider, its arms were comfier and kept her warmer; how tempting it was just to stay there, very still, drifting in and out of sleep maybe forever.

She peeled herself reluctantly away from the trunk and got her bearings. The leaves on the ground were similar shades to those she'd just been stood in, the trees were similar spacing, the light was a similar level, so she guessed she couldn't have moved far. There were voices ahead, a whole crowd, they sounded intimidating even from a distance but Hermione was drawn to them knowing they must be the reason her subconscious had landed her here.

She snuck through the trees clenching her fists, wishing she could have her wand for defence and then hating herself for wishing it- she'd forgotten to remember that she wasn't going back to magic. Through the gloom- the woods always seemed to be gloomy- she saw a circle of cult-like figures, all donning black robes, looking as though they were born from the darkness that surrounded them. In the centre stood Voldemort; Hermione froze as she realised why she'd come here, it was a trick by her subconscious not a gift.

Voldemort was talking to someone kneeling in front of him, reciting an incantation. The someone on the floor rose, they were uncloaked, wand hanging loosely in their right hand and they moved with puppet like actions.

"I know you know," The Dark Lord hissed, his breath no more than a part of the cold air, floating with the particles of darkness as its cushion. "You know things Draco, you've seen My Girl and you've seen Potter. Take me to her now, find her!" His threat rose with a sudden icy wind and cut through Hermione's clothes, she was defenceless and shaking and it would be Draco that was her downfall- the friendship she should have known better than to forge, the one she should have let die a long time ago.

Draco turned around and Hermione saw that his eyes, usually pale grey in his chiselled face, were misted, a white film smothered them obscuring Draco from sight. He must be under a deep enchantment, well under Voldemort's control. His eyes met Hermione's through the foliage, she begged him to see and not to see even though she knew it wasn't him. _Draco snap out of it, _she thought pleadingly, _You're too strong for this. _As if on command the film dissolved from Draco's eyes, he wobbled, shocked, on the spot for a moment before his true eyes focused on Hermione. They widened in disbelief and his face registered utter distress. Hermione could barely think as she edged backward, praying for the magic ability to be silent but knowing that she definitely didn't have it. Draco tried to feign puppet movements, the Dark Lord was hovering ready to move, and Hermione was ready to die- her heart felt though it had already stopped- she'd never been this close to the edge.

He moved to the edge of the circle, coming ever closer to Hermione but his movements unchanging. They were trying to communicate, through panicked looks of desperation, how they were going to play this out- Hermione was still reeling that she'd managed to clear Voldemort's enchantment and he hadn't noticed, she could feel the core of her being beginning to tingle with power. Eventually she interpreted Draco's frantic pleading with his eyes as a signal to stop moving. She froze, not even breathing, her nails digging into her palms.

She was in a thicket, fairly well hidden by the dark foliage all around her, as Draco neared her position he didn't change his movement but his left hand stretched out to her ever so slightly. He shouldn't have reached out.

Voldemort knew in a flash that something had changed,

"What?" He hissed, and seemed to grow and float at the same time, leaving the ground, on another plane altogether to the mere mortals around him. He soared forwards causing Hermione's body to go into overdrive with panic, she thought she'd explode any second. Draco sprinted forward, his hand stubbornly outstretched and snatched at her wrist. She clung on and thought hard about the Scottish highlands. She caught a flash of the deserted crags and peaks of her childhood, grey rugged rock jutting out in a friendly welcome. Then the breath was knocked right out of her. She felt Draco too crumple beside her, gasping for breath. They struggled to stand again- it was like they'd hit a solid brick wall.

Voldemort was upon them. Hermione shamelessly scrambled to get behind Draco, hating that Voldemort could block her magic, scared beyond belief of what he would do to her, and at the same time drawn- drawn inconceivably to the force of his power that muscled across the air towards her. Draco threw up a shield, silver, strong, forming a bubble around them.

"Hermione…" He barely whispered, his face contorted in concentration. The bubble flickered, faltered, as thought it hesitated and doubted itself in Voldemort's presence.

"Got you." She muttered, forming a vibrant gold shield in her mind and watching it materialise, lacing together with Draco's to form strong metallic bonds in the air.

The strength was sucked from her, she felt what Draco must be feeling. Like a plug had been pulled from her soul and all her strength was channelling through the field into Voldemort, spiralling towards her ultimate defeat.

"Children…" His voice was piercing, painful. "This war is over. I'm going to Hogwarts and you're coming too. The spare will perish, at your hand Hermione, and you, my Queen, will rule with me. I understand…you can't find the Fire Stick, Hogwarts will bend to my will and grant it to me."

She believed him, as a force stronger than gravity and greater than will pulled from a spot just behind her navel, for a fraction of a second she believed it would be easier just to let it happen.

"Hermione." Draco forced his words out. "Pull back, you can apparate."

"We tried," She reminded him, with little strength to be irritable.

"You can't take me. But you alone, you know you can, it's as easy as falling asleep."

"No…" She begged, salty water filling her eyes, blurring the back of his blond head, "Please no."

"Hermione," With all the effort in the world he turned his head to face her, "I don't want to die for nothing. You've been my hope, in a world full of despair."

She couldn't bear it, but she had to. For Harry, she had to bear it. Hermione knew she couldn't say goodbye as she tugged on the bonds of her shield, it dissolved easily and she cringed as Draco's shuddered, Voldemort licking his lips hungrily. But without the extra weight on her mind it was the easiest thing to disappear and float into a graceful sleep.


	13. Precipice

**Author's Note: **_The shortest chapter ever, to set you up for a world of action :D enjoy! Let the tension build..._

For the first time in the longest time the world was soft and light. The bed massaged her bruised body gently and Hermione sank back into a dreamless and blissful sleep.

Somewhere in the distance an army marched on Hogwarts- the inhabitants clueless.

She opened her eyes tentatively, a fraction, and saw nothing at all. She knew only that the light was soft, dim, not bright and harsh, but not dark and threatening. So she slept on, unmoving.

Somewhere in the forest Luna stumbled upon Draco's mangled remains. Ron held her hair while she was sick and then he tastefully rearranged and cleared up the bits of body.

Hermione pushed her warm hand into her pocket with difficulty under the heavy duvet. Inside she could feel the cold edges of the coin- she was here, everything was ok.

Harry and the four others, plus baby, moved for Hogwarts too, collecting those still loyal along the way. Harry was fuelled by a new found hope, he felt like he could win. He knew he was on a headlong collision course but he'd been waiting restlessly for months, for his whole life, and he wanted to collide now; he wanted to feel the impact, experience the rush, whatever the outcome.

She didn't want to open her eyes. Not because she was afraid, for the first time in a while, but because she didn't have to. It was pleasant not dreaming or thinking. Hermione didn't especially want the tough choices to come again.

Voldemort took a detour through Godric's Hollow and set it alight, just to watch it burn. His own fighters and the enemy alike were caught in peril. It was all ok though, because when he reached Hogwarts he knew he could get the Fire Stick. He'd found the answer he was looking for in the woods.

Finally she felt ready, it was almost the right time to test her body for movement and see where she was, she was pretty sure it was the place she'd been longing for.

Harry became surer the nearer he got to Hogwarts, trusting in his friends that remained strong on the inside of those walls. He knew he'd found the answer he needed, right in the heart of those woods, he knew the Fire Stick would come to him, he could feel it.


	14. The Dog and The Baby

**Author's Note: **_Sorry for the prolonged absence, I won't bored you I'll just let you get to it and let the tension mount :D I really hope you like this...hopefully the twists are working for you all and you'll get some questions answered in this chapter...**please review :) **_

Hermione awoke, looking around at the sea of tranquillity she realised she was in her bedroom, but brighter and more blurry with white. Though what she was doing here she wasn't sure. So tested her voice,

"Hello?" It was the only thing she could think to say.

"Hello Hermione." It was a woman's voice, deep and rich, it trickled towards her seemingly from above and yet from all around.

Hermione hadn't been expecting a reply but she wasn't afraid. "Who's there?"

"I'm here." The voice had a smile in it.

"Am I here? Where is here? Why am I here?" She blurted out all her questions at once, and new ones formed just as quickly. She felt healed, so wherever here was it certainly couldn't be bad. Besides, a disembodied voice held no threat to her, in the world of magic she'd learnt quickly to recognise threats when she saw them.

"You're here, somewhere you couldn't come until now but should have come along time ago. You're here because you've been searching in all the wrong places."

Hermione sighed, "I'm starting to realise that. The underworld…"

"There was no part of you there Hermione, you knew that, you can feel your own power. The good and the evil, you were already intact."

"How do you know so much?" _Because you're a creepy spirit voice and they always do, _Hermione thought casually.

"Because I've been charged with giving you three gifts. The first you have had, I gave him to you in the tunnels."

"In the tunnels...I barely remember because..." She sighed and thought back to the pandemonium of the claustrophobic tunnels "You were the dog, and you left me the baby- why though?"

"I'm an animagus, I can transform myself into a dog yes, but I was human and once I was in love, with a man who became truly terrible. The baby I gave you is his child but also my child."

"Who's child?"

"_His _child."

Hermione gasped, "Lord Voldemort's child." A world of possibilities ran through her mind, the very concept was horrifying.

"Tom Riddle tried to kill me and the child, but I managed to use the last of my power to suspend the child in heaven with me. He remained alive while I waited for the person that would understand him, understand the plight of power, and see that he was unharmed."

Hermione's head was reeling the child of The Dark Lord frightened her, the idea could disrupt the entire wizarding world. She wanted to ask the lady so many things but a sense of urgency crept into the back of her mind, albeit reluctantly, she was needed.

"Am I in heaven?"

"In a sense, you're in the over world, it's a similar experience to dying- you were warned you would die."

She smiled, "I was, wasn't I? Why-?"

Before Hermione could fully form the question the gentle voice answered, "You are here because you deserve to be. And you still have two more gifts. The first I shall give you now."

Hermione waited patiently, studying the pattern on the duvet cover and noticing it had changed a little since she was last home. When she looked up her breath was swept from her lungs.

"Hello Hermy," Karl's bright eyes smiled at her sadly, he was a pale shimmer against the pale background of the room, but he glowed enough for Hermione to make out all the features, it was a shadow of him.

"Karl. I'm so sorry, I should have told you."

"I wouldn't have believed you, I'm only just starting to figure it out, since I've been dead. I read your story again, the one you're trying to publish, but this time I took it all as fact. It filled in some of the blanks."

"Karl…" She shuddered, although she knew she couldn't touch him she'd have given almost anything to feel his hand in hers. "I got you killed, how can I live with that?" Once she'd started the emotion tumbled out in a waterfall "I've been asking myself again and again, how can I deal with what I did? All the things I never said to you, I never said that I … I can't bear it, its like a constant stabbing at my heart. You had so much life left."

"Don't pity me Hermione," He told her gently, "What's done is done. I came to tell you, to let me go and let yourself rest. It's all forgiven Hermione. And after I read your book I knew why you could never tell me you loved me- and that's ok too. Your heart is free now." He vanished as quickly as he'd come.

Hermione ached for him, she ached for her life before. She raised her eyes again, and this time was confronted with horror. She'd known it was coming, but it still hurt like hell to see Draco's grey eyes staring back at her.

"Draco I'm- "

"Don't say sorry." He half smiled, "It was only a matter of time before he killed me, but dying for a worth while cause seemed more meaningful. I wanted to say this,"

"Draco." She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her,

"I don't have much time Hermione, so don't say anything. Don't say good bye, because we'll see each other again one day. I wanted to say, let yourself off, free yourself from blame. It wasn't your fault I died. Things are going to get worse for you, but they'll get better too. It's time to stop fighting who you are Hermione. We'll be with you always."

"Thank you Dr-" He was gone. Before she had time to form a thought the woman's voice came again,

"You're almost ready Hermione, you have everything you need to win. You've been so strong, that's why the gifts are yours; you just need to find the strength to look back, and you can end it all."

"Do I have to go back?" Her voice was tiny, what if she didn't want to go back?

"Last time you tried to leave without finishing all you needed to finish, they found you again. Besides, you're already back, in your heart."

Hermione blinked a few times. The white mist cleared and she realised her bed covers were definitely not her home ones. She had felt at home though, but as the room materialised she noticed other beds, cluttered trunks, thick red hangings and rugs, ornate mirrors; she was back in her bed in Hogwarts. She swung her legs out of the bed and tested the floor warily- it was definitely solid. She thought her heart might fly. Moving through the room like a dream Hermione brushed a piece of Ginny's clothing, rested a hand on Parvati's magazine. Lavender's bed looked more recently used, there was a human-ish indent and the lamp had been left on. On the chest next to the bed were multiple half-finished potion bottles and tubes of different sizes. Then Hermione remembered that Lavender had come to Hogwarts under Ginny's orders, along with Neville, Cho and Seamus- maybe she'd have somewhere she could hide while she figured out her next move.

She prepared to leave the room, patting her jacket to check she still had her precious bag with her, her bag of memories. She remembered what the lady had told her about not being afraid to look back and faltered, she was sure she'd have enough time for one last look to get over her fear of what lay inside the tiny cloth bag; who she really was. She pulled the draw string loose and dipped her hand inside, just lightly brushing the familiar shapes. One wasn't familiar- a cocktail of fear and excitement plummeted through her body at break neck speed as she closed her fingers around the intruding item and brought it out. It was a wand, definitely not her wand, as she held it in her hands she felt a power rumbling through it, angry enough to rip apart the whole of Hogwarts with one swipe and gentle enough to undo such damage without a second of effort. She turned it about in her hand feeling how springy the wood was despite its obvious age, it radiated majesty, it felt as thought it had been grown tenderly hundreds of years ago and had been brewing its power steadily ever since. _You have everything you need to win. _Hermione knew what she held in her hand: it was her final gift.

"Harry." She whispered excitedly, a thrill ran through her bones, she had to find him.


	15. Gravity

**Author's Note: **_You have no idea how passionate I am about this story, it's certainly the one I've cared most about since Final Stand :) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...It's almost over though :( read on... xox _

The corridor was void of life, it was as though someone had pulled out the plug in the dungeons of Hogwarts and everyone had been sucked to the bottom, like gravity. She heard footsteps, Hermione panicked and pinned herself back against the cold stone wall. The footsteps echoed loudly as they came closer,

"Hermione?" A tentative voice called out.

Instantly she peeled herself from the wall at the sound of Cho's delicate voice, "Here." The girls embraced swiftly and then Hermione took a step back to check that Cho was real and she wasn't encountering another ghost or shadow.

Cho was definitely real, her face was streaked with sweat and dirt and dark smudges occupied her under eyes. She was thinner than she'd once been too, and had definitely grown leaving Hermione feeling very short indeed. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"You appeared on the Marauder's Map, Harry leant it to us, it shows-"

"Everyone that comes in and out of Hogwarts, I remember. Who's here now?"

"Hermione don't you know?" Cho frowned, giving her a pitying look. "Listen."

Hermione listened- how could she have missed it? Either she'd been too high up, or too out of it in another world to hear it before, but down stairs there was the noise of a commotion, it sounded like every student in the school was trying to speak at once.

"What's going on Cho?"

"You Know Who is here, we think Harry is coming, there are only twelve Death Eaters with him and we can't figure it out…he's not attacking. He's got a defensive shield around the great hall and he's just waiting in there; all the students are trying to break the defences-"

"Why? Ever heard of running away?"

Cho smiled wryly, "We're trying to smuggle the younger ones out of the school, we don't know what's going on." Suddenly the entire building shuddered.

A scream tore through the air, magically pulsing across the air waves "Harry Potter!"

"Cho, get me down there, now."

Cho nodded and sprinted past Hermione, who stayed hot on her heels despite having legs half the length, she gripped the precious bag in one hand and the dangerous wand her other; she could feel its power rippling, calling out to her, _use me. _

They headed downwards at breakneck pace the noise rising and growing like an ash cloud of utter panic. Cho screeched to a sudden halt,

"What is it?" Hermione catapulted into her shoulder.

"It's the staircases, they've frozen, they aren't moving for us." On cue there was another ominous rumble and the walls trembled in fear, the level of noise below intensified.

"Get me as far as you can." Hermione urged, growing more desperate by the minute. "Where do we need to go?"

"There." Cho pointed across to another stair case on their right,

"Right, take me to level with that crowd." Hermione indicated where the strong barricade of student spectators or supporters began, parallel to their staircase but in the direction they needed to be.

They ran down and Cho began to yell across the crowd on the opposite stairs, "Neville? Seamus? Are you over there?"

"Here." Neville emerged slowly, extracting himself from the mass student body. "But you can't get through this way, the crowds ran down to help Harry, but You Know Who made a barrier, we can't shift it, he's doing some kind of spell in the Great Hall and he's not letting us near, Harry and the others are fighting with the Death Eaters in there."

"Right," Hermione paused, trying to organise her thoughts, but none came. "Can we jump across?"

Cho shook her head vehemently, Hermione didn't particularly want to either but the stair case they were on was going completely the wrong way.

"Yes you can." Neville insisted. He stood up onto the handrail and got his balance, stretching out a hand he called, "Do what I did then just jump, it's not as far as it looks."

Hermione pulled herself up with more difficulty to stand on the hand rail, it was narrow and she wobbled like crazy. She didn't dare look down knowing they were still a whole floor up and she thought, in spite of what Neville said, that it was probably exactly as far as it looked. Her knees began to shake uncontrollably,

"You can do it." Neville's voice was jolly, he was enjoying this far too much.

"Why is it that every time you turn up I end up doing something stupidly athletic?" Cho groaned from behind her. It gave Hermione the confidence to jump.

She didn't dare close her eyes but simply put as much momentum into the jump as she could and flung her arm desperately towards Neville's outstretched one. Her right leg connected with the rail and she buckled in surprise, her hand briefly skimming through Neville's before she landed with a thud on the other stair case.

"I'm fine." She yelled up quickly, although her body felt far from fine. She looked back for Cho as she peeled herself from the floor. She had one leg up on the hand rail and was looking increasingly shaky.

"Hermione go on, get that barrier down, I'll follow- I'm holding you up."

Hermione didn't need telling twice. She headed for the dense back of the crowd, elbowing her way through as best she could. It was claustrophobic to say the least once you joined the throng, she was being jabbed from all angles and the noise and heat were unbearable- like a concert but without the fun or music. _Like a tube on a bad day _she thought. She shoved as hard as she could but she was making no progress,

"Move!" Her yell was lost in the melee. Hermione reached into her bag and brought out the stump of the candle Harry had given her, she tried to think straight in the jostling herd; she focused her mind and in an instant the candle was alight, she gripped the hot wax tightly and thought, _Harry. _

It was like apparating, only you could feel yourself moving, you could see your surroundings in a blur, but as far as she could tell they couldn't see you; more like flying invisibly then, or apparating in slow motion. She was transported over the smudge of the crowd and easily through the powerful looking barrier that hung in the air like a thick fog barely noticing the hail of spells that the students were pouring on it, attempting to break through. The entrance hall was deserted, she lost height and skimmed into the great hall with a twinge of nervousness in her stomach that was quite apart from her burning fear of the battle, it had something to do with seeing Harry again. In the great hall the spells looked like a macabre firework display as Ginny, Dean, Luna, Ron, the Patil twins and Fred and George fought fiercely against the small army of Death Eaters. In the centre the Dark Lord and Harry were deep in battle, but not with each other, with Hogwarts itself. Voldemort fired spells that shook the school, left cracks in the sky, threats and curses rolling from his tongue and wreaking havoc on the ancient building that seemed to be screaming in agony, and all the while Harry was desperately shielding and repairing his beloved home. Hermione could see what they both thought- they each believed that Hogwarts would give them the wand.

Hermione began to soar downwards, like gravity taking her to Harry, and she started to think of a shield ready to go up the second her feet touched the floor and Voldemort could see her. There were screams and shouts from all directions as she landed, confusion rippling through the hall. The most terrible scream was from the Dark Lord himself, it was so piercing it shook her defence, but couldn't take it down completely; he merely watched her, transfixed with fear and anger.

Harry rushed at Hermione, forgetting the war, and embraced her fiercely. She clung to him like it was her last touch, Harry burying his face in her wild hair they pressed themselves close together, letting go was inconceivable. Hermione's strong barrier shuddered. They had to break apart.

"Harry I've got it. The wand…" She held it outstretched to him although something deep inside her was reluctant to let it out of her control.

Harry's eyes burnt into her, disbelief, gratitude, so many things. He reached a shaky hand towards the wand, the instrument of life and death, his finger tips closed on it. "Ah!"

"What?" Hermione's eyes widened as Harry withdrew his hand like lightening and gripped his own wand more tightly.

"It burns, it burnt me. It doesn't want…oh."

"What?" Hermione begged, but behind her the insane laughter of Voldemort crept towards her like death. "Harry, what?"

He shook his head, his eyes looking right at her, pleading with her to understand.

"To get the wand- ha- he has to kill you Hermione. But someone already told you that little secret." The voice seeped through her shield, icy with realism.

Then Draco's voice came back to her, _you're going to die. _Hermione looked right at Harry, he was so kind, she wasn't afraid, she was warm. She nodded.

"No! Hermione no." He took a deliberate step back. "We've been here before and it's not going to happen."

Hermione knelt down, "I mean it this time," The wand was limp in her right hand, "Go on."

"No." Harry replied angrily.

At this the wand became agitated, Hermione felt her mind teetering between two states, it felt weak. She felt her arm raise to the ceiling a bolt of bright lightening shot from the wand and flew into the enchanted sky above, the whole sky flickered. The room went dark then light. Voldemort edged closer hungrily. The adrenaline rush for Hermione was enthralling as the wand moved again; the room flickered again, but when the light returned every fighter, Death Eater or friend, was pinned against the wall- helpless- struggling as if chained. Hermione tried to drop the wand, but it had sealed itself to her, she couldn't let go.

"Harry, don't you see what I'm going to do? Stop me. You have to stop me."

"No I don't. When are you going to get it into your head? You have a choice, take control."

Hermione tried to stand up, as she did she released all the fighters from her side, leaving the Death Eaters at their mercy.

"Do you have a choice?" Voldemort leered behind her. "Not really, you're not as naïve as the Potter boy."

Hermione's legs shook and she was back on the floor, when she looked up all the fighters on both sides were in crumpled heaps, unconscious on the floor. "Harry…" She warned her voice breaking.

"I'm not going to do it."

"No! Argh!" She tried to pull the wand away but it had made up its mind, it swerved in Harry's direction and Voldemort laughed manically behind her.

Harry was quick though, his reaction spell hit Hermione's just in time, they locked together. Although Harry's wand was strong Hermione knew the Fire Stick was stronger. So did Harry, he was just no closer to figuring out a plan.

"Harry please," Tears streamed down her face now, she was fighting the wand but it was no good, "I can't hurt you. Please Harry just do it, it's too important, just kill me." She gasped, unable to believe she'd said it aloud.

Harry looked at her tear stained face, her tired wonderful eyes- he'd brought her here. "Not for world Hermione, not even for the world." And in an instant he had a plan, or part of a plan, a crazy idea. He dropped his wand; his eyes still glued to her brown ones.

The Fire Stick stayed locked onto Harry's wand, the spell following it down to the ground. Hermione was shocked, she looked at Harry with wide eyes, disbelieving- had he just quit? For her? Very slowly, secretly petrified that he would die in seconds, Harry turned his back on Hermione and took a tentative step away.

"There's something you've been trying to forget Hermione." There was a cracking noise behind her and her spell finally shattered, leaving her completely exposed to the Dark Lord. She didn't turn around, she felt numb watching the wand in her hand torture Harry's, any minute now it would burn it completely. "But you can't escape it my precious one, it's like gravity- you're mine." Voldemort swooped a little closer, the air around Hermione turning clammy, poisonous.

_Like gravity…_Hermione thought suddenly. Something lit deep within her then, she moved a shaking leg and used all her effort to pull herself to her feet. "No." She barely whispered.

"What?"

Watching Harry's retreating back intently Hermione finally broke the spell on his wand. She stood fully feeling the power that she possessed flow freely through her body, "No. I'm his."


	16. Real

**Author's Note: _FINAL CHAPTER :D _**_Hope you enjoy it...for all those who gave up hope of the ending they wanted I hope this is what you hoped! I'm a sucker for happy, soppy, romantic endings... please review :) :) _

Harry stopped dead. He turned around and Hermione couldn't keep away from him; like gravity, she was dragged forward. The wand in her hand was no longer weighing her down, she knew she could control it, she'd always been able to control it- why shouldn't she?

Harry caught Hermione by the shoulders and spun her around so she faced Voldemort. He was scared. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to protect her, and stretched his hands out till they folded over hers so they now both wielded the wand. His pushed his head close to hers and whispered,

"Let's finish this together." Hogwarts shook again as he said it and Voldemort made one final rush for them. Without saying a word they fired a spell straight at him; straight for the heart, whatever was left of it.

A towering golden flame flew from the wand tip in a jet of fury, it pushed Voldemort back as it collided with his chest and he screamed to the heavens. His scream broke and contorted, Hermione wanted to close her eyes terrified at what she was doing as the terrible wizard began to crumble like stone under the weight of their magic. But she couldn't look away, she had to see it through. The flame expanded and licked towards the ceiling and the walls, it spread brilliantly through the air, first healing the cracks in the ceiling and then in the fractured windows. The fighters on the floor began to stir. All of them were shaken but it took mere seconds before they were bearing down on the Death Eaters, ready to finish their own private battles for good. The hall was painfully, beautifully bright now, the golden substance leaking into the entrance hall.

With one last broken cry Voldemort became nothing more than dust. _So much anger and hate, so much power, he just vanished. _Hermione felt elated. There was a sudden cheer as the spell removed the final evil reminder of what might have been- the barrier. The noise was triumphant, Hogwarts itself self seemed to be singing, the very bone of the school rung with victory. Hermione shook with laughter and cheek to cheek with her she could feel Harry doing the same, out of the corner of her eye she could see the creases that smiling brought to his gentle face. The spell burnt for one more golden second and then she knew their job was done.

A rush of air raised her hair from her neck and when it settled again the magnificent fire had gone, Harry's arms were no longer around her, so she lowered the wand.

Looking about her Hermione felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. She reached into her pocket and took out the little twenty pence piece, sighing she opened the soft, small bag and dropped the coin into it without a second thought, to remain with her other memories; she knew she didn't need it any more to remember who she was, she was here, she was Mione. Students began to surge on the hall, at the head of the pack were Cho, Neville and Lavender who had all been trapped behind the barrier. There was a convergence as they joined with the other fighters, the gang back together again.

Cho ran unashamedly for Seamus and flung her arms around his neck, to which he grinned like an idiot for a second and then grabbed her waist and kissed her. Fred nudged Parvati with his elbow, she looked at him questioningly, somewhat indignantly and he merely shrugged. It took a second but she shrugged shyly back, and slowly reached for his hand. Hermione, stood aside slightly unsure of where she belonged. She met Ron's eye and smiled, and he nodded and smiled. And they were ok. When he looked away his eyes fell on Luna, who was hovering waiting for a hug, and Hermione knew he'd be just fine. Lavender looked drained, tired and very ill, she gazed across the group at George, who gazed sadly back. Hermione wondered what the history was between them and what on earth was wrong with Lav, before both of them broke their glances and turned to join in with hugging other people. Dean stood half a pace back too, watching almost impassively, watching Ginny's movements as she glided towards Harry. Harry's eyes flickered over to Hermione's for half a second. She stopped breathing, wishing she could look away but she couldn't. Ginny reached him and the moment was gone. Harry took her in his arms and cradled her auburn head against his chest, looking nowhere else.

...

Hermione regarded the note in her hand with a sigh, she was once again lost. Physically she knew exactly where she stood, but anything apart from that was a mystery. Two weeks had passed since the defeat of Lord Voldemort, two surprisingly uneventful weeks. She had backed away at the end of the battle without saying anything to anyone, she'd walked out of Hogwarts with just as much regret as the first time and she'd slipped off the radar of any witch or wizard for a few days at least. The first person she'd made contact with was Cho (her first girl friend at Hogwarts she always remembered fondly) who was living with Seamus and she'd pleaded with her to keep her presence strictly private. Cho had obliged, reluctantly, and quietly fed her and asked no questions and not pushed her towards magic. Hermione had existed like that for a little while before Dean came by to check in, and to give her the note.

At this point she'd debated alone for nearly twenty four sleepless hours before deciding she had to follow it. Dean had taken her safely as far as she'd needed, no questions asked again and a pleasant silence was kept between them at all times; Hermione respected Dean's privacy as much as he respected hers. He'd had to make a few stop offs though where she'd learnt more about Lavender; she was suffering with a curse that should have killed her but they'd managed to slow down to almost stopping, but not quite, a cure was still quietly in the works although Hermione didn't sense much hope from anyone.

And now she stood exactly where Dean had left her, about two hours ago to be precise, at the bottom of the house where Harry and Ginny were staying in a second floor flat. In her hand was Harry's note _'I have something of yours' _and she couldn't quite bring herself to go up. A small witch (you could tell by her robes) exited the house carrying a rather over-sized handbag, which hissed and smoked every few seconds, she looked right up at Hermione and blinked.

"Hello." Hermione faltered, "I know Harry, er, and Ginny- second floor? May I…?"

The witch held the door in her hand and looked Hermione up and down. Without saying a word she shrugged, then nodded and gestured that Hermione could step into the hall.

"Than-" But she had already vanished silently.

Hermione climbed the carpeted stairs and cringed at every creak- she didn't have any assurance that they were even in. _They _sounded odd in her head, because she didn't know who she was dreading seeing more, what would happen if she found Ginny alone? What would happen if they were in together? What would happen if she found Harry alone? She was utterly numb. There was no doorbell in evidence so Hermione knocked hard three times and waited.

"Hermione."

Harry stood facing her in the doorway, looking surprised, but pleased. He looked tired. She shrugged.

"Erm…come in."

She stepped straight onto the kitchen and living area, it was oddly empty, like they hadn't properly settled yet, and at the same time messy and cluttered- it was a patchwork room of bits of Ginny's life and bits of Harry's life.

"This is er, nice. Is, um, is Ginny home? I just thought I'd- but if she's out I can-" Hermione stumbled with her words, staring intently at the wooden floor.

"Ginny's gone." There was something final in Harry's voice that made Hermione look up. He threw her a half smile.

"Like gone, gone out. Or gone, gone."

"Gone, gone." Now it was his turn to shrug, "It's been coming for a while I guess I…" He sighed, "Don't know where she'll go, she's got the baby. What's the story with that anyway?"

Hermione hesitated, and then settled on the whole truth. "The baby is The Dark Lord's illegitimate child." She paused, sort of enjoying the look of shock and confusion on Harry's face. "Not that I knew that when it was left with me. It's mother gave her life and used some kind of spell to keep it alive and then deliver it to us- who knows why she chose us?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice rose in anger, "Hermione, we should have killed it not kept it."

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you." She retorted, "Look at what they did to me because of what they believed I was capable of, think how different things could have been if they'd just given me a chance to grow up as a good witch. We can't just assume that this child is evil- is that really what you want?"

Harry looked like he was chewing something particularly tough, then eventually he replied, "When you put it like that I suppose not. That baby isn't you though Hermione, we'll have to keep a close watch on it. But maybe not tell the others what we know?"

"Agreed."

"I don't know where Ginny will take it." Harry said again. Hermione regarded him and realised he needed reassurance that he hadn't just thrown her out into the cold with nothing.

"She'll go to Dean."

"Dean?"

She nodded, "Yeah, he'll take care of her." There was a long silence where neither looked at the other. "Anyway," Hermione held up the note, "You said you had something of mine."

Harry cleared his throat, reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a delicate wand; Hermione knew right away it was hers.

"Oh Harry!" She felt a violent pull on her heart

"I figure it's safe now. And you said, you told me, that I should give it back to you if…if we ever…"

Hermione crossed the room and stretched out her hand, her fingers closed around her wand and just rested against Harry's, tip on tip. She thought about how long she'd waited to feel that touch, how much had been missing. She thought about the first time they met, she thought about the twinge of regret she'd experienced when Ginny first kissed Harry. She thought about the tent; it had been so obvious, but up until that point she'd ignored everything spectacularly.

"Mione…" Harry hadn't pulled his fingers away, his eyes bore into her.

"When I first met you Harry, it was in a dream." Her lip quivered.

"Hermione what does that…?" Harry leant in, his green eyes questioning, looking deeply into her own.

"What if I never woke up- what if this is still a dream?" She'd voiced it. The tiny niggling fear that was always there- _is any of this real? Or am I just asleep in my bed as a Muggle?_

"Hermione you are more real," Harry placed a hand either side of her face, catching his fingers in her hair, and turned her head gently upwards to his, "to me, than anyone has ever been. And I don't know why I didn't tell you that first summer, or the first time you came to Hogwarts, exactly how I felt about you. Because I think you felt it too, and we're so stupid-"

"I know." She pressed her forehead against his and shut her eyes, feeling every heartbeat they shared.

"I didn't see, I just didn't realise, until you brought me back and…" Now he looked into her eyes again, his were dancing. Their noses were just brushing. "Even if you were still dreaming Mione, would it matter?"

She thought for half a second and she knew that it didn't matter one bit, if this was a dream then she just wanted to stay asleep forever. She shook her head slightly and instead of replying she just kissed him.

Harry kissed her victoriously, passionately, pulled her to him and held her close. She felt every tiny pore of her body where it touched his and kissed him back like this was her first and only kiss. There would be nothing else to talk about if the kiss ever ended; they'd decided- this was definitely real.


End file.
